Sister of Kaname
by Mariah Bryant
Summary: Once hidden away in America, Amara Kuran, the sister of Kaname, has to return to Japan to once again face the senate reguarding her unfair death sentence . . . and the fate of the world. If she can't fix the past, then there is no future.
1. My Life

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter One:_

My Life

As you can imagine, I was very familiar with the 'high school' setting. There were 'in' girls and jocks. There were geeks. There were nerds. There were nobodies. There were goodie-goodies and suck-ups. There were slobs. Et cetera. By this time, I had completely forgotten that I was a part of this formula and was only aware of my own amusement. I laughed and smiled a lot more than a girl should, and at times when it was inappropriate. I don't know what my label was, but it wasn't good. That was fine with me. I got to be entertained, and got to live my life the way I wanted to.

Now don't get me wrong. I wasn't care-free in the least. I just tried to be. No, I had a lot on my mind even then. After all, I was a runaway.

My jaw resting on my fist, my body leaned forward lazily, a wide smile on my face, I gazed upon my best friend. The table under me, I was aware, jumped as another one of my friends hit it. I was also aware of the salt shaker that overturned due to the motion, and the crazy laughter that resulted. I was aware of the eyes that either gazed or glared at me. But most of all, I was indeed engrossed in staring at my best friend. As engrossed as my brother with his muse.

"So, Amara, are you going on the field trip tomorrow?" asked my friend, Ansley.

I smiled at her. "Yes, I suppose."

"You can afford it?" asked my other American friend, Benjamin.

I shrugged. "Well, what else would I spend my money on? Birthday cards?"

My friends smiled at my joke, but no one laughed. They all knew that talking about my family was waters not to tread on. The joke of it was that I had no family to send birthday cards to.

"I'm so excited! Tomorrow, I'm gonna ride my first rollercoaster." Alexa squealed. "You guys have to ride it with me."

"Well, of course! A chance to ride the new _Griffin _– who would pass that up?" Melissa exclaimed. She grinned hugely and flung her hands into the air with fake exasperation. "An idiot. That's who. A dweeb."

"Did they have rollercoasters where you lived in Japan?" Alexa inquired, cocking her head.

I sighed inwardly. Now everyone waited thoughtfully for my response.

I forced a smile. "Of course there are rollercoasters in Japan. What does Japan not have that America does?"

"Hmm." was the answer I received from Melissa.

"True, true," remarked my best friend.

I had not looked away from that angelic face – at least, I had been able to see it from the corner of my eye the entire time. Now, it was looking back, and I felt the familiar floating feeling that I adored so much. My best friend's beautiful hazel eyes sparkled in the light of the cafeteria's florescent strips. I think I sighed.

Just then, after an uncountable amount of time, the bell rang, signaling our cue to move on to our next classes. Alexa, Melissa, Jewel, Ansley, and the other four people who made life worth enjoying, Stephen, Kayla, and Anna, all went to different classes. My best friend, who made my life worth living, was the only one who followed me to our advanced classes.

***

My breathing was a little fast as I unlocked my apartment door. I staggered through the entrance and closed it quickly behind me. My heart constricted painfully in my chest, like a cramp. I wanted it to stop. A look of panic stretched my face. Why would my heart – what kept me alive – hurt me so much? As I panicked more and more, its sides slapped each other harder and faster. I gritted my teeth. Each heartbeat . . . it felt like a fist was squeezing it with the intentions of eliminating it. I knew it was making itself feel this, yet I could almost hear it screaming in my ear; whining . . . pleading . . . begging. . . .

I felt only pain, I saw only blurs. I found myself in my kitchen, clutching the counter for dear life as the world spun. I leaned back on the edge of the counter. The overlap didn't hurt me as it should have. It could not have hurt me, as much pain as I was already in.

A shaking arm reached and a hand that did what it pleased grabbed the door handle of the cabinet above me. I opened it, and got my fingers around a glass. Soothing myself with the knowledge that it would be over soon, I adjusted myself so that I was leaning toward my sink and put my weight on the counter so that I could reach the faucet. I turned on the water and let it run into the glass. My hand sparkled – the water must have been on my hand too. Yes, I think my hand felt cold.

I took a deep breath, and did not let it out. I yanked open a different cabinet and grabbed one box of many. This one was already opened, so I tipped it over. Its cardboard flap gave way to its contents, and soon small round white things fell like rain onto the counter and then onto the floor. From the pile that stayed on the laminate countertop I took five white pills.

I put them into my glass of water. I did not wait for the water to turn red. I chugged the entire thing, then drank another glass.

I felt as if someone hit me with a baseball bat very suddenly on my forehead, and I felt backward onto my butt – but not before my head hit the edge of the wooden island. Disoriented, I let my vision clear and my pain dull until it was gone. Then, I accessed what had just happened.

Completely pain-free, I sat on my kitchen floor on some blood tablets. My feet were splayed out in an unnatural way, but I was flexible so I didn't worry about that. I smiled to myself.

When was I going to learn to take those stupid blood tablets to school? I would have to, eventually. And I would have to find a time when I could sneak away to the bathroom to take them. Otherwise, one day I could really loose control and end up hurting someone.

I did not pity the weak humans I fought myself not to devour every day. I was amused by them.

I was easily amused. As I sat on the floor, I laughed silently at myself.

The speed at which I stood up was incomprehensible to humans. I quickly picked up all of the scattered blood tablets and returned them to the box, then placed the box back into the cabinet. I closed the door, smiling carefreely as if nothing had happened.

After that little episode, I did the homework I would give in the day after the next day. It took me mere seconds – I had had a tutor in Japan. Then, I sat on a cheap yard-sale bench and stared out of my window as I pondered what the next day would bring. From the prophesy I had received the night before, I knew it would prove to be very interesting.


	2. My Makeshift Family

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Two_

My Makeshift Family

I tied my silver-purple hair into a ponytail and a pulled a black camisole onto my body. I put on a tight black skirt and white sparkly tights, and laced my shiny silver knee-high boots onto my feet. Then, I put on a long-sleeved purple jacket and knotted its strings, pulling it to hug my slim waist closely. With plenty of time left before I had to be at school, I drank a glass of water with two blood tablets dissolving inside. Then, as if a vampyre could forget, I put on my jewelry last: large hoop earrings, a thick spiked wristband, bangles, and two rings per hand.

How did a runaway afford this? You may not have been wondering, but I know it would have crossed your mind later on. Your answer: dumpster diving, yard sales, and the fact that that was all the jewelry I owned besides one other pair of red teardrop earrings.

I left the apartment, a small wad of cash in my coat pocket, along with my keys. I worked after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, so I did have a small income. Otherwise, I was completely on my own to pay for my apartment and electricity and clothes and such. I did not have a phone, TV, or a computer. I did not even have a refrigerator. I did not pity myself, though, of course. It amused me. I enjoyed life.

I had an electric scooter. I climbed on and effortlessly made my way up the hilly road toward school. The morning air was damp, cool, and wonderful. The sky was cloudy, which gave me a reprieve from the strenuous sun.

I rode into the school parking lot and unhooked the chain I had bought from my scooter and fastened it, and a lock, to the bike rack. It had already been stolen once, and I had seen it returned. There was no need to have something like that ruin my mood again. (My faith in humans had since returned.)

I walked to the benches to the right of the drop-off zone and met my friends – minus my best friend – there. They all looked up at my approach.

"Amara! You _are_ coming! I have to admit: I had my doubts. But here you are!" Ansley jumped up and down and clapped her hands.

I smiled at everyone, truly happy to be there. "Well . . ." I actually had nothing to say, so I didn't bother.

"Did you bring your sunscreen? The weatherman said that it was supposed to be sunny toward noon today."

I sighed silently, and my smile grew sweet. I turned around at human speed, savoring every moment. I was then facing my best friend.

Michelangelo Thomson had a worried and thoughtful look on his face. His beautiful head was cocked slightly. The clouds, which turned the sunlight purple, made his brown hair a white color. I could pick out each individual strand that waved in the wind as he walked towards me.

"I was not aware of that. I was hoping for another cloudy day like yesterday." I said truthfully, but in my voice was the tell-tale sign that I really wasn't saying what my mouth formed. I was completely carrying on a different conversation in my head, and it showed through my tone.

Mike gave me a smile. "Good thing I thought ahead."

He slid his pack around so that he could access it easier and started rummaging through it. He pulled out a travel-sized tube of sunscreen. It was SPF 500.

I smiled. I had guessed by the look in his eyes that he had had a backup plan. "Thanks." I took it from him gratefully. "I will just go put some on in the bathroom. I will not be long."

"I'll go with you." Jewel volunteered. She followed me into the building. She was talking, but I only needed one tiny part of my brain to listen. The rest of me thought about Mike.

Since I had arrived in Charlottsville two years ago, I had been accepted by my current friends. They took me in with open arms, as an old woman would a stray cat. Everyone else . . . they steered clear. It could have been because of my dark purple eyes. Unnatural. Seductive. Fierce. It could have been my silver/purple hair. Long. Wavy. Like strands of moonlight. It could have been that they sensed that I was a threat. After all, I was. It also could have been jealousy. I knew that this was what the majority of girls in school felt toward me.

Now, I wasn't looking forward to moving away again as much as I had been before I met my friends.

Jewel leaned against the wall of the girls' bathroom and averted her eyes as I popped open the tube and began to spread sunscreen thickly over every inch of skin that was visible.

"So . . . how are you feeling about today? Are you scared?" Jewel said slowly. Her voice, though quiet and soft, was loud in the empty bathroom.

I wondered briefly what she was talking about. All of my attention was pulled to her in an instant. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, aren't you worried? You're gonna be on rollercoasters, trapped in the air, twisting and turning so that the sun gets you at every angle. Aren't you worried you'll . . . die?"

I snapped around and looked directly into my solemn friend's green eyes, though I could see her very clearly out of the corner of my eye. My jaw was slightly dropped in shock. "Well, I mean, of course I'm a little bit worried that I might feel some pain, but I have never considered dying after being in the sun."

"That's what happens to the people on TV. Allergies as severe as yours . . . usually lead to death. I'm worried that you aren't being so smart with taking care of yourself." Jewel crossed her arms and shifted feet, uncomfortable.

I looked away, toward the sinks, and laughed out loud. "People that are allergic to pollen go out and frolic in the flowers. Just because I am allergic to the sun doesn't mean I can't be in it in low dosages. And besides: I have sunscreen. That should help, if only a little."

Jewel looked back at me with a thoughtful smile. "Mike loves you, you know."

My cheeks got very hot, and I stopped breathing; as I did every time a friend brought that subject up. I just couldn't accept their assumptions as fact. It was still too dangerous to act. It was especially harmful to Mike. I had contemplated moving away thousands of times, but 'I will be moving soon, anyway; we can both hold out that long' was always the excuse that won. There was simply no way, though, that we could be together. I was not only a vampyre . . . I was a runaway.

Naturally, I had pursuers.

"Get over it, Amara. Let go. I mean, you're seventeen. You're only gonna live one hundred years. Don't you think it's time to let yourself love him?" Jewel rolled her eyes.

"Hmm . . ." it hurt to talk about it. As with the rest of the times, I went silent.

Jewel, who had been inquiring more than anyone else, sighed and shook her head. "I don't get it. You're only hurting yourself."

Without another word, I finished up and we exited the restrooms. I held the door for her on the way out, and gave her a smile to let her know that I wasn't angry. She returned the smile wearily. I knew that she worried about me. Who wouldn't worry about someone they admire? And who couldn't admire a vampyre?

Jewel and I stepped out into the sun. It turned the cold day into a sunny day. It felt like a microwave to me, but in reverse. Instead of zapping me with electricity, it zapped energy from me. Because of the UV-blocking sunscreen, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I did not allow my face to look disappointed. Today could still be a good day.

But . . . was this what I had prophesized?

I handed the tube back to Mike. "Thank you so much. You are a lifesaver."

Mike smiled at me warmly in return. "I'll just keep it until you forget your own again. It's safer that way."

"I agree." I almost offered to pay for it, but then I remembered my shortage of money. _Well, you have a wad in your pocket you're just going to blow away today. Why not offer? He will probably reject it, though, like all of the times before when he has come to my rescue. _I thought to myself. In the end, I decided to leave the subject alone.

"Time for a potty break." Stephen said, stretching. "The bus is going to leave in ten minutes, so hurry everybody!"

"I'll pass." Benjamin said quickly.

After glaring, Stephen turned and walked toward the school.

So, various members of my makeshift family moved toward the bathrooms and some stayed behind. I was keenly aware that Mike was one of those that stayed behind.

The winds shifted. It was as if a ghost was standing behind me. I whipped around, an involuntary gasp escaping my mouth. I saw nothing, but my body tingled with excitement.

_There is just no way_, I thought quickly, yet those words did not make the feeling go away. _There is no way!_

"What's the matter?" Mike asked, his voice appropriately anxious. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that his eyebrows had pulled inward.

I realized my fists were clenched at my sides, and my body was tense as if for a fight. My instincts wanted me to keep this stance, but I forced myself to relax. I turned my back on the wind, facing Mike, Melissa, Jewel, Benjamin, and Anna again. They all stared at me curiously.

"Is everything okay?" Anna asked. My mind had begun to wander, but her high, sweet voice pulled me to where I was standing.

"Is it the sun?" Jewel took one careful step toward me, her eyes wide with fear.

I shook my head and gave my friends a smile. "It is nothing. I could swear I just heard a car wreck in the parking lot, but it must have been my imagination. Everyone over there looks fine."

Everyone's faces relaxed except for Mike's. With hesitation he walked to me and put a hand on my shoulder. Quietly, so that none of the girls (or Benjamin) could hear, he whispered, "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

I nodded, trying not to dwell on how close he was to me. "I am fine."

"You don't look fine. You're jumpy and pale."

I laughed. I had to look carefree and whimsical to make him feel the same things. In my breath was a chemical to calm him. "Hello? I'm a human girl who can't be in the sunlight. Of course I am pale!"

Mike smiled. His eyelids drooped slightly, his face relaxing. "Uh, yeah. That would explain it."

For the moment I was almost entirely distracted with Mike. The man that I looked up at had my entire heart. He replaced the things I had run away from; the things that I used to love.

At that moment, Stephen came out of the school. As usual, he made a big scene about it. He was not one to enter or exit silently. He was laughing loudly with Ansley. Ansley, a shy girl, merely grinned.

Mike backed away from me and removed his hand from my shoulder.

Kayla and Alexa followed after Stephen and Ansley. The entire crew encircled Mike and I.

"Looks like Mrs. Benhoff is getting ready to call us all onto the busses. Let's go on ahead in that direction so that we can sit together." suggested Kayla.

"Yeah." we agreed, and walked across the campus to the parking lot, then past Mrs. Benhoff and onto the charter bus.

Sitting beside Jewel, I stared out of the window throughout the entire drive at the beautiful trees and ugly stores and cozy houses that rushed by me. Had my prophesy been about what I had felt? I knew this was not over, if it was. Things were going to get bad, and they were going to get bad quickly.

Meanwhile I listened with love overflowing from my heart to Mike as he conversed with our friends. He was so pure. I braced myself, for I knew that in the near future he could very well be in severe danger.

My facial expression was nonchalant and showed utter peace.


	3. My Stalker

This is my first author's note, and it is to express my gratitude to EmeraldGreen4Life's mother, whose recent comment touched my heart. I am always so proud of my friends because they rock and will take the world by storm when their times come and are so unique and amazing in different ways, and it is just incredible to have the same thing I've told my friends told back to me by an adult as wonderful as Diana -- and I hardly know her! Diana: I thank you so much!!!!!

As for the rest of you: thank you so much for your reviews. They really have helped me in ways I didn't think they would. Please continue!

* * *

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Three_

My Stalker

The bus rolled to a stop and its passengers disembarked. By this time, all of the clouds had dispersed and the sun was evaporating all of the leftover water, making it feel like a summer day to me. (It was a typical Virginian winter for the humans: November-feeling but June-looking.) For a girl whose favorite season was winter (the snowy version), that Friday was hardly a beautiful one. Weather was often unfair.

My carefree attitude was officially soured. Now, my amusement was laced with worry.

"It's awfully sunny. Are you going to be alright?" Mike asked me, turning toward the back of our herd to give me a small inquisitive smile.

I shrugged. My eyes were squinted, but I hardly noticed. Everything sparkled brighter than diamonds, and it was difficult to look at. "It's okay."

"Here. Let me buy you some sunglasses." Mike said. He motioned to a small store selling souvenir hats, umbrellas, coats, and more. The shade inside looked welcoming.

I smiled. "It's okay. I have some cash."

"Hey, guys! Hold up. We're gonna stop here first." Mike called automatically.

"I didn't think you'd be one to shop first thing." Melissa grinned at Mike, and entered the shop. She was not one for shopping, either, but the store had some cool necklaces and bracelets . . . ones that a skater girl would love to adorn herself with.

Stephen looked at us funny as he passed but he, along with everyone else, filed in. As soon as he was past us, he practically grabbed Ansley and dragged her around, telling her what would look great with her eyes. Benjamin watched awkwardly, then decided he was going to grab a pink hair bow and try to pin it on Melissa's head as she fought and cussed, saying things like "dude" and "get that out of my face". Meanwhile, Kayla, Alexa, and Jewel eyed pocketbooks distastefully and laughed at Benjamin. I smiled hugely to myself at this, my worry almost gone for the moment.

"C'mon." Mike said. Together we walked into the shade. My best friend led the way to a rotating shelf of sunglasses, and spun it around for me. "See anything you like?"

I grinned. "Well, it's not really a question of whether or not I like a pair of sunglasses, it's whether or not they look good on me." I picked up a pair of huge, round Beetles sunglasses and stuck them on my face. "See, I love these. They are awesome. But: they do not look good at all."

"I think they do." Mike said. He twisted the shelf to a side with a mirror on it so that I could see myself.

In the mirror, I saw that I really did not look bad in them. Still, I did not think they were the best I could buy. "Hmm. I still want to keep looking." Now I was frowning. Why did I have to look as great as a vampyre after I had just spoken words that would make me seem as normal as a human girl?

I found a cool pair of silver sunglasses with black lenses and that curved up and to a point at the far sides of my face, like they used to in the 1900's. I tried them on, but was not pleased to find that I looked amazing in them. I did not speak to Mike; I just bought the sunglasses and together we stood at the entrance to the shop and waited for the others.

I did not want to hurt Mike in the least, even just a little, so I decided to suck it up that I was not normal and thus not right for Mike and simply go on with life. "Thanks for looking with me."

"Welcome." he responded. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that he looked a little unhappy. It pained me; I had made him that way. Though I was not sure which thing I had done had upset him, I knew it was one of the things within the last five minutes.

The crew finished up, and we began working our way toward the first ride on the map, ignoring the hundreds of cool shops. All were fun, though I could perform all of those speeds and turns and loops on solid ground using only my body. The first rollercoaster we got to, one with many loops, was horribly close to torture. Jewel was right when she said that the sun hit me on all angles as the gripping coaster turned and flung me, as if I was a roasting pig. It was fine, though. The coasters did not last.

After five coasters and countless rides and games (which I sat out of because I had no money and refused Mike's offers to pay), Mike suggested that we take a break and sit under a tree for a while. He stood (and paced) in front of us. Stephen and Melissa whined and complained that they wanted to return to their ride riding, but although I was silent Mike would not allow us to leave yet.

"How are you doing?" Mike asked me.

Though I was feeling a little light-headed, I smiled at him. "I am fine."

"Well, _I'm _getting a sunburn. I don't see how you are fine." Stephen said. As always, it was impossible to tell what he wanted: to ride rides, or to take part in the drama Mike was making?

"I will be alright. I promise." I assured everyone.

A cloud passed in front of the sun. I used the opportunity to get a better look at the coasters that lay in our path.

My eyes went wide as a cold feeling caressed my cheeks. My jaw dropped, and I gasped silently. One-third of a mile down the walkway, a man in a long gray coat crossed from one store to another. He had blond hair, and stared at me as he passed through the crowd. He had no need to look where he was going.

I stared in disbelief, on the verge of screaming in horror. "It cannot be," I whispered in my native tongue, unable to contain myself.

Mike took my shoulders frantically. "What is it? Do you need an ambulance?" he followed my eyes, but saw nothing and whipped his face around to search my eyes.

He was being brave, though he had no idea what he was truly going to face. My love for him nearly escaped and I almost leapt from the bench, took him into my arms, and ran.

Instead, I swiftly devised a strategy. There was no doubt that if I was not imagining things, my nightmare would soon come true. I would save my family. _They would not take another one from me!_

I doubled over. To stop my trembling, I leaned forward with my arms wrapped tightly around myself and rocked back and forth. It occurred to me that I was gasping and tears were dripping from my cheeks onto my legs. _Oh, god no . . . _I chanted in my head.

I was no longer carefree at all.

I was scarcely aware of anything going on around me. My friends hustled and bustled around me, repeating worried questions over and over.

They needed me. Like a switch being flipped, I pushed everything to the back of my mind and put on a happy face. My friends needed me. "Ha . . . uh, let us go eat lunch now. That will make me feel better."

Mike blinked. Everyone was silent, all staring down at me. Each of my friends had stood and surrounded me. They cared for me. They were my family.

"Good god, Amara! You scared us to death, and now you just shrug it off? What in the hell was that?!" Jewel screamed furiously. Completely unaware of herself (as was usual for her) she slapped her thighs, a gesture she despised as much as hair-flipping. This meant that she was very (incredibly) serious.

My smile dropped. I had always reacted to scorn severely. Her words were like a punch to me. Stung, I looked down. "It was nothing. Really. You must trust my words."

A long silence passed before Mike extended a hand to me.

He sighed. "Let's go find a restaurant, then."

I took his hand and stood up. Without any warning, my knees shook once and landed me on the bench again. Now I gritted my teeth.

"How about we find one on the map before we head out?" Mike suggested.

"That's a good idea," Kayla said quickly.

"Let me handle that." Stephen said, yanking a map from his pack. He then started discussing with himself our choices.

"The closest one, Stephen." Mike ordered.

Stephen paused, and glared at Mike. Mike was stern. Stephen reluctantly stood and pointed in the direction. Luckily, he pointed in the opposite direction from where I had seen the blond man with the gray coat.

Mike slipped a hand under my elbow and helped me to stand carefully. With the hand that was not attached to the elbow my best friend held, I held onto his arm. Mike paused for just a second to glance at me.

"Ready?" Ansley asked.

"Yes," I said, careful not to nod my head. That would surely give me a headache.

Mike hurried me to the building's awning, and Melissa urged the waitress to seat us quickly. My friends pulled me faster than I wished to go to our table. When I was sitting down in the shade, Mike in the chair beside me, I felt my body slowly coming back under my control. Flipping switches, when you are a creature of the night, can be even more catastrophic than not.

I removed my sunglasses and put them into my coat pocket. Then, I sipped on a glass of water that the waitress brought me.

My friends and I ate, but everything seemed to be dulled and fuzzy. My brain was somewhere else: in Japan. What was going on there? How much did they know


	4. My Strength

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Four_

My Strength

He was outside the door, waiting for us. When we filed out of the door, he was unseen except to my vampiric senses. I kept my face and body calm, but I made sure that I angled myself between Mike and him. Once outside the door, I paused and closed my eyes. Then, I took off my sunglasses slowly and put them into my coat pocket.

"What is it?" Mike asked, nearly bumping into me from behind.

"Ah, Amara. How lovely to see you here!"

His voice was feminine and friendly. He spoke in Japanese. He was like an angel. I knew what he looked like before I opened my eyes.

"Botan. Your visits are quite interesting. Surely you did not stop by on accident?" I said quietly, opening my eyes slowly. Maybe, just maybe, the person I saw would not be who I suspected it was if I gave the person time before I saw him to change. My wishful thinking was in vain: it was in fact Botan I saw when I opened my eyes.

The girls popped their hips unconsciously and looked him over. The guys stared at the angelic creature, unable to piece together his beauty with his gender. Botan had blond hair and perfect sky-blue eyes. He smiled like a child.

"I am afraid not, Amara. The reason I am here is the reason you suspect. Yet, I do come bearing room for negotiation." he said.

All that my friends heard was a friendly, beautiful voice speaking in another language.

I knew him, and did not allow my hopes to rise. "Let me here it."

"I won't make your death painful if you let me drink from your friends, and you let me enjoy it." he smiled, speaking as if he was telling me about the weather. His eyes sparkled.

"I do not have a choice, do I?"

"Let us put it this way: if you act cruel, your death and theirs will be cruel. Do we understand each other?"

"I have nothing for you to understand." I said. He stared at me for a long moment, conveying a threat. I sighed. "I do understand you." I forced a beautiful smile, knowing it would please him.

He smiled in return. Then, he smiled at my friends.

"Translate for me, will you?" he asked. I nodded once, and he began to speak. "Greetings. I am Botan. I am a friend of Amara's, visiting from Japan. How do you do?" This I translated for my friends.

Mike watched my eyes cautiously. I tried my best to seem happy . . . and not to meet his eyes. Who knew what would happen if I did? This man whom I loved . . . I could only pray I would be able to save him.

The rest of the day, Botan conversed through me with my friends and there was nothing I could do to protect them. All I could do was be with them. They loved the man who wanted to kill them . . . to slaughter and devour them like animals. Then, the time came. He lured them behind the bathrooms and gave me a grin.

"Now is the time. Although you were very polite and kind today, I am afraid that killing you all painfully is my better choice."

Anger flared in me.

As quick as lightning, Botan grabbed Anna's arm and yanked her into his embrace. He tilted her head back; she was drunk with his scent and did not mind.

After being so numb and happy for so long, I questioned the new emotion that roared through my veins, making me breathe faster and my face become fearsome. I did not like it. Though it empowered me and took control of my senses, it was also like a gate breaking. I did not like the new, destructive power and freedom that I now possessed. Once I let it take control, I did not trust that I would be able to stop. Yet, it was the only part of me leading my body to violence, and that was the only way to save my friends . . . my new family.

I struck with great speed. In one swift move I pulled her away and kicked his feet out from under him. Before I could punch him into the ground (while he was still falling) he punched me – hard – and I flew into the wall. I hardly felt any pain, and was soon going after Botan again.

"I do not see your reasons." I told him.

"You don't?"

"I see your reasons for killing me, but not for being cruel like this. Vampyre hunters are not cruel, and do not torture their victims. Why are you?"

"I am not a vampyre hunter. I am an assassin for the vampyre council. You know that."

"Yes. But are we vampyres not supposed to be pacifists, like my brother?"

"Kuran is not the only leader. It is not fair that he gets to make all of the choices. He, actually, is on my list."

I laughed. "You think killing me will be easier than killing my big brother?"

At this point in our blurred fighting, I kicked Botan's head out of place. Still grinning with amusement, I paused to let Botan regain himself. He did – quickly – and frowned at me.

"Yes, actually. Your brother doesn't play with his opponents. He goes straight for the throat."

"Too bad that I am not him then, huh? My toying with your mind the way that I do must be mentally excruciating."

Botan smiled. "I think I am the one playing with you." Just then, he kicked me in the stomach with great force and I hit the wall much harder than before. Disoriented, I watched him zip over and take Mike into a prison-like hug. Mike, whose eyes were wide, cried out.

My heart stopped for a moment, and I let out a mix between a gasp and a sigh. Of course he could not be affected by Botan's power! I had all but claimed him for myself. Mike, in return, had all but announced that he did indeed belong to me. No brainwashing could affect him now, except for mine if I ever decided that it was necessary.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blur of a person, and felt a burst of power. At this point, I was already flying through the air, screaming like a lioness. In midair I wrapped my arms around Mike and squeezed my hands between his body and Botan's arms. I pried him free before my actual body hit Mike, then I hugged him to me and used my foot slamming into Botan's arms to spin myself around so that I landed on my back and Mike was unscathed.

Awestruck, Mike slumped back on me, unsure of anything. His jaw hung open. In an instant, I was out from under him and launching myself at Botan.

Botan glared at me, but the rest of his body did not respond quite as quickly. I jarred his arms out of socket and yanked them upward behind his back. Then, I pulled back my hand and was about to plunge it straight through his back and into his chest cavity.

"Don't kill him!"

I looked up at my brother, my eyes glowing red and my fangs barred. "Why not?"

Mike gave a small gasp when he tried to sit up. He was hurt, and I was unsure of how badly but I could only guess. This made me even more furious.

Why had everything I ever loved been hurt? Why did the vampyre council insist on tearing me apart? WHY!

I screamed, and punched a hole through Botan's ribs. The warm guts inside of him were like pudding. As if I had experience, I located Botan's heart and ripped it out of him. Then, using the momentum of my hand flying out of his body, I spun and kicked his head straight off of his body.

I threw his heart to the ground.

I felt my brother's incredulous stare. Then, I felt the first wave of hunger pass over me.

"My sister . . ." my brother sighed. With sadness, he bowed his head and closed his dark red eyes.

A millisecond later, I heard Mike moan my name. All of my friends were now blinking away Botan's magic. They would be fine, but who knew if Mike would be? Ignoring everything else, I ran to Mike's side and dropped to my knees.

"What is it?" I asked frantically. Before I could be stopped by better reasoning I ran my hand through his wavy brown hair. My other hand I ever-so-lightly skimmed over his chest, feeling for damage. His thin T-shirt proved non-resistant, and I felt every rib with my super-sensitive fingertips. I let out a small laugh of relief.

"You will be fine. Your ribs are merely bruised." I smiled. "How are your shoulders?"

"Sore . . ." Mike winced as he spoke.

Shoulders were a little bit more difficult for me to inspect, so I closed my eyes and focused as my fingers gently probed his arms. I could sense gas leaking from his left shoulder socket, and irritation in his left upper arm bone. These things made me frown. Gently, I lifted his shoulder into its normal position, hoping it would make a difference. It was not out of socket. It merely had been popped, like when one cracks one's knuckles.

Mike let his head droop back onto the ground, and his eyes closed. He was attempting to calm himself down.

Then, Mike spoke softly.

"Vampire?"

I caught my breath. Everyone else except for Mike would not remember these past few moments. I could not bring myself to make him forget, however. I wanted him to know. I wanted him to be in my life, to know every aspect of me. From the tone of his voice I knew that he would know these things and not hate me for them. I sighed, tears pooling in my eyes. Yes, I would let Mike choose his fate in this one. (Though I knew it was not exactly his choice. . . .)

I caressed his cheek, which was pale with pain, lovingly. "Yes."

Mike responded with a sigh.


	5. My Brother

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Five_

My Brother

"Here," a pale hand gave me a blue sling. I positioned it very carefully, then sat back to gaze upon my best friend.

"Come on." my brother's voice urged in Japanese.

"We have to take him. There is simply no way . . ." my voice trailed off.

My big brother considered. He understood. He, too, was in love with a human. He said the words we both knew everyone that knew about Yuki thought: "It is frowned upon for a pureblood to marry a human."

"That is not the most of my worries, but there is simply no way that I could leave him."

"Don't leave me," Mike, somehow, got the gist of what my brother and I were talking about.

I smiled at him and traced my fingers down the side of his face one more time. "I won't." I lifted him into my arms very carefully and gave my brother a meaningful look. He nodded, then took off running. I sped behind him.

Behind us, Botan's body cracked and shattered, then disappeared. My friends started wobbling around like drunkards, asking each other what had just happened.

***

On the way, my brother bought a bag of ice for Mike. When we got to my apartment, I was breathing a lot harder than my brother, and handed Mike to him so that I could unlock my door and open it for them. Once inside, I locked the door behind me and dashed for the kitchen while my brother laid Mike down on the mattress in my living room. Shaking horribly, I drained a glass of blood tablets and water. Hugging my arms to myself while I calmed down, I knew my eyes were slowly returning to their natural color.

I walked into the living room and sat on the floor next to Mike, who smiled at me.

"I am glad to see you are conscious." I smiled back at him.

"Yep. And watch this," he used his one good arm to prop himself up. He sat very rigidly, but at least he sat up.

The bag of ice slid into his lap, and he gritted his teeth against the cold.

I laughed lightly. "You know, it would stay in place if you would lie back down."

Mike grinned. "A little help?" his tone was almost breathless. It was hurting him. I leapt to the rescue, positioning my arms under his back and slowly helping him lie down again. When the job was finished, Mike sighed.

"What's his name?"

I turned to see my brother lounging on my bench, his arms crossed. At one point he had been looking out of the window. Now his eyes searched my face knowingly. My brother and I had been apart for over ten years (not counting the day that he brought me a literal _ton_ of blood tablets), yet it felt like just yesterday he was leading me around town, telling me things about the people he had met and I told him things about the people on the street, because I was gifted with immense psychic powers.

"Michelangelo Thomson." I said, unable to control my face enough not to smile like I had just told him the best secret in the world. "You can call him Mike."

My brother cracked a smile, something that I had rarely seen since the murder of our parents.

"You love him." It was not a question.

"Yes." I nodded once.

Mike was smiling and craning his neck to see my brother. "What's your name?"

My brother grinned. "My name is Kaname Kuran. I am pleased to meet you."

Mike looked a little shocked to find that my brother could speak English. I was, too. There were a few more things that had happened since I had last seen him than I had thought.

"It's nice to meet you, too." Mike agreed. "Are you two related?"

"Yes. Kaname is my big brother." I said.

"From Japan." Mike stated.

I nodded. My smile fell.

"So . . . I guess . . ."

"Maybe not right now. Amara has had a lot to deal with today." Kaname said.

"Yeah." Mike looked away sadly.

Kaname resorted to looking around my apartment. It had three rooms: a kitchen, a bathroom, and a multi-purpose room. His eyes caught on my bookshelf. It did, indeed, have books in it. Most of the books were mangas or graphic novels, or romance books in both Japanese and English. Kaname's eyes then fell upon my 'bed', which was a mere mattress with sheets and pillows.

"You have been without many material things." he observed unhappily. "Why did you not tell me you needed money during my last visit?"

I shrugged. "You do not have money, yourself. If you borrowed money from Ichiro or even used our inheritance and he noticed you had not bought anything with it, he would become suspicious."

Kaname smiled very slowly. "I used a substantial sum of money to pay for a ball gown for Yuki this past year." he spoke in Japanese.

I smiled. "What is the reason you decided to speak so that he could not hear you?" I asked, also in our language.

Kaname shrugged. "I am still not completely sure of what you plan for him, so I want to be safe."

I grinned. "You know what I _want _for him . . ."

Kaname smiled at Mike now, and Mike returned the expression.

Kaname took a deep breath, and then frowned sadly. "Mike, my sister will have to move away tomorrow. She is needed in Japan. You have a decision to make." Kaname paused to gauge Mike's now perplexed and worried expression. "You have until tomorrow at six o'clock to make up your mind."

A cold electricity ignited in my heart. I was needed in Japan? Things were far worse than I had suspected. Things were far, _far _worse. I had not anticipated anything like this. I needed to find out the extent of the situation.

I looked away so that Mike could not see my horrified and agonized expression. Mike, who could now kill me with one word: _No_. My fate was just as much lying on his shoulders as his own. I absolutely hated that he had to now endure mental torture. No one should have to make a decision like his. And it was my fault.

"Amara, let us go talk somewhere." Kaname nodded toward the door. "Mike, will you be alright? We will not be gone long."

"Sure, you both go talk." Mike said. I could tell that the pain in his chest this time was more than physical.

I gave him a grateful smile, then looked away quickly before it could break. I stood, and as did my brother. Then, with his arm around my back, we walked out of my apartment without locking it and onto the street. We took a right down the alleyway separating my apartment complex from the one next door. Once we were far from the street and shaded from the sun, Kaname backed away from me and motioned for me to sit down on a crate lying on the ground. I did.

Kaname looked like he was hurting. His teeth were gritted, and his arms were folded as if they were the only things keeping him together. Staring into my eyes seriously, he began.

"He's come back in his sons's body."

I nodded grimly. "I have been seeing him in my dreams. I thought that it was just my childhood nightmares returning."

"What childhood?" Kaname sounded angry very suddenly. In a flash, a crater appeared in the building behind him. Kaname turned back to me very quickly. So, there were more secrets?

Kaname laughed to himself evilly. "I am sorry, Sister."

I smiled sadly. "You have nothing to be sorry about. So, when you are finished briefing me, do explain your sudden increase in power?"

Kaname nodded once. "You must come back to Japan and set things right, and you must do so in time to stop Shiki."

"Even if they execute me."

"Yes. Even then." Kaname looked away from me, fuming. His fists were clenched by his sides.

A tear rolled down my cheek. "That man . . . I wish he had stayed dead . . ."

Kaname recognized the way my voice got softer and higher before I was about to start crying. He dropped to one knee in front of me and pulled me into a hug.

"I am so scared!" I sobbed.

"Me, too."

"Those people want me dead,"

"We won't let them kill you, Amara. This time things will be different."

"Gah! My brother, I am powerless. I hope you have established yourself, because I am completely relying on you. I am so sorry to be putting you in this position again."

"Don't you worry about it." Kaname stroked my back like when I was little. "I have faith in you. And though you will not need it, I have increased in rank dramatically and I can help you. You will not be alone."

I let out a shuddery breath and was again reminded how much like our parents my brother was.

Kaname chuckled. "I am no where near as kind as our parents."

"I doubt that I am as solemn and mentally sound as this 'Yuki Cross'." I said with a smirk.

Kaname laughed now and held me out at arm's length. He sighed, his eyes shining. "You are very kind, and you know it."

"I know I try to be." I grinned.

Kaname rubbed my left arm with his right hand. His lips began to curve down until he was frowning again. "I wish I could treat Yuki like this."

"Why can't you?" I cocked my head, taken a little aback.

"Her heart is undecided about what she wants. I do not wish to hurt her any more than she already is. She is so . . . breakable."

"Yet she is strong. As strong if not stronger than you are. Because deep down, she knows her past, correct?" I smiled sympathetically.

"Yes. There is actually little that my Yuki does not understand, if even vaguely."

I cocked my head. "And what about this Zero character?"

Kaname smiled but did not look at me. "What are you not able to fish out of my head?"

I shrugged. "Your thoughts are alittle jumbled in that area. I want to know what you want to think, where your heart lies when it comes to him. Yuki knows about his shadowy past, or at least she knows about his more than she does yours. She can sense, because she is attached to you, that you have dark and sad secrets but she can not pull them apart. You think that because of this she is more likely to fall for Zero." I chuckled silently. "Even though she is in love with you already, you fear?"

Kaname was silent long enough for me to apologize – laughing was cruel of me.

"I just . . . I am so confused and upset . . ."

"That is another thing we will fix while I am in Japan." I smiled warmly. Kaname grinned up at me, where he had been ducking his head in sorrow. I put a hand on his broad shoulder reassuringly. "And do not worry. You are connected by spirit. There is no chance that she will not choose you."

"Zero does not even fight me back –"

"Kaname, is is confused, too. He probably does not know what he feels and for whom."

Kaname sighed and shook his head, but kept his grin. Then, he met my eyes challengingly. "You have no competition when it comes to Michelangelo."

I laughed. "If only that were true!"

"It is true now."

My humor was zapped out of me with my brother's words. Was it true? Mike was completely mine?

I shrugged. "I wanted him to date one of our single friends. They are all very beautiful and kind. One of them in particular needed someone to be her shoulder to cry on, her assuring glance . . . Mike is perfect for the job, and they would be happy. I do not know how happy Mike will be when we get to Japan and he finds out who I really am."

Kaname was hung on one of the things I had said. "Do you not need a person like Mike?"

I shook my head sadly. "You know I am strong. And I am not alone: I have you. The memory of you, knowing you loved me, kept me going." It hurt my soul to say those words, and I had to struggle to get them out.

"Yet," he prodded me on.

"I feel . . . almost maternal toward him, like it is my job to protect him from the evil we know and the hard times many can scarcely comprehend, even as they live them. It is killing me to drag him into this. But I think that he cares for me the same way, and I like the feeling."

Kaname smiled. "See? Even you need some therapy some times."

I laughed. It did feel good to straighten out my thoughts. That reminded me: "Hey! You completely diverted my attention from the task at hand! How do you think Zero is taking the fact that you killed and drank from his Master?"

"He does not know I drank from her. No one knows. I think it could be very dangerous to show that the Kurans have that kind of power again." At this point, Kaname sighed. "I think I made the situation worse by not letting him kill her, but I needed her blood. You understand."

I nodded, though it was not at all a question. "How is Kaien?"

Kaname smiled sympathetically. "Ah, Amara. Kaien Cross is an amazing man. Truly admirable. Of course he has not fully recovered, but he has made more progress than any vampyre ever could. Cross Academy has seen some uncertain days, but things are doing far better than we had anticipated. He continues to chase his dream optimistically and with beautiful insight and wisdom."

I nearly laughed out loud, and a few tears slipped down my cheeks. "Oh, Kaname! Truly? I cannot wait to see him! I am so happy!"

I did not dare bring up the question still at hand and horribly unanswered: was I forgiven?

I was going to Japan, so I would soon find out.

* * *

I really hope it is not obvious that I know relatively nothing about the Japanese language. I try to make it believable that perhaps you are reading a translation from Japanese to English, so I use as few conjunctions as possible unless someone from America is speaking. Amara speaks properly, suggesting that she grew up in a time when conjunctions and possessive nouns did not exist, though I cannot write without possessive nouns . . . Hey, I try. ;)

I was really scared for a long time that "Amara" was a bad word in Japanese. To tell you the truth, I simply made it up. With Botan, I found his name on a Japanese baby names website and chose it carefully because of it's meaning, "peony." I wanted him to have a girly, sort of classy name. But Amara . . . I just put together some sounds that I felt suited her. I found on the baby names website that the name "Amaya" meant "night rain" and it occured to me that "Amara" could have meant anything. So I freaked out. Today I looked it up and found that it meant "immortal" and "steadfast" and I figured that it was close enough. You cannot imagine my relief!

Amara is both immortal and probably steadfast. You will definately see that in the next chapters. Enjoy!


	6. My Michelangelo?

I was so impressed with the number of people who moved to read Chapter Five almost the instant it was published that I decided that I would not make you wait to read the next chapter even though only my friends from school actually reviewed! Congratulations and whatever you are doing, keep it up! I love having a large number of fans and seeing that number grow!

* * *

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

Book One, Chapter Six

_My Michelangelo?_

Kaname rose and extended a hand to me. I took it and stood. Hand in hand we strolled back to my apartment. We both went inside to find that Mike was in the kitchen drinking a glass of water. My cabinets were open.

"No food?" he asked, humored.

I giggled. "Mike, uh, vampyres drink blood."

Mike smiled embarrassedly. "Yes, but don't vampyres eat food, too?"

"Aristocrats, a lower level of vampyres than purebloods like Amara and myself, do eat human food. Purebloods, however, only drink blood." Kaname explained.

Mike raised an eyebrow. "There are classes of vampyres?"

I shook my head at the same time Kaname said, "Yes." My brother and I exchanged looks, both of us determined.

"Amara disagrees, but we do rank ourselves according to our level. Purebloods, who do not have a drop of human blood in their bloodline, are the most powerful of the levels of vampyres and are like kings. Aristocrats do have human blood mixed somewhere in their lineage. Then there are common vampyres, who have more human blood in their veins and do not have any special powers. Then there are former humans, who have been bitten by purebloods and have turned into vampyres. The lowest level, Level E, stands for Level End. These are former humans. If the pureblood did not give the new vampyre some of his or her own blood, then the former human looses his mind and turns into a killing machine and is called a Level E. That is why we exterminate them. The senate, who controls all of the other vampyres, keeps track of that type of thing and organizes the hunts and such. This is because the vampyre hunter council does not always do as good a job as actual vampyres."

"So, there is a council and you are like a prince and princess or whatever?"

"No. Amara is not officially on the senate and neither am I, though my will is done regardless. I am in a way a high President." Kaname smiled at this.

"Oh."

"Though that was a wonderful summary that my brother gave, I will fill in the details later on. It is a lot to understand." I smiled warmly. Mike smiled thankfully back.

"So, you're hungry?" I said. A frown slowly crept onto my face. When I turned to my brother I saw him holding up a credit card. I smiled and sighed with relief. "Okay. Let's go out to eat."

Kaname glanced out of my window at the bright world outside and grimaced. "Maybe we can do takeout."

Out of his pocket he took a phone and called the local directory, then called what Mike said was his favorite Chinese restaurant. Of course this amused my brother and me. When the food arrived, Mike, Kaname, and I lounged around the kitchen. My brother and I sipped on blood mixed into water, which isn't as gross as it sounds. It was very close to tasting like blood straight from the source, but cold and not as sweet. My brother noted that he liked to warm his up in a microwave, but I did not have one.

Suddenly Mike cocked his head. "Kaname? Where did you get this sling?"

Kaname laughed. "I plucked it off of some six-year-old human who was screaming because he was to short for a ride."

"You just took it from him?"

"Very quickly and with plenty of precision." I said.

"Hmm. So I guess you guys are really fast."

"Among other things." I grinned.

Mike shook his head. "Just hearing about it makes me tired. Care if I retire early?"

"Nope. Let me help you." Mike and I walked into the other room and I supported his back while he slowly laid down. With hands steadier than I felt I pulled the blankets over him and tucked him in. It took great restraint not to pat him on the head or kiss him on the cheek. I rose and walked back to the kitchen.

Immediately I laid my head on Kaname's chest. I tried not to pay attention to how muscular and broad it had become. My brother hugged me comfortingly.

"I'm scared. Kaname, I can not loose Mike. No matter what happens, you must promise me you will protect him." I whispered to him in Japanese.

"I am scared, too, Amara. I give you my promise." Kaname kissed my forehead. "Now, let us go to sleep now, also. I am suffering from jetlag."

I smiled. "Alright."

So, it was that I curled up on the far side of the mattress, as far away from Mike as I believed I could get. Neither of us was uncomfortable, so all was good. Kaname slept on the floor with his upper body on the bottom of the mattress. We all woke up at ten the next day, after a rather eventful night.

"Amara," Kaname whispered. I started coming around, and realized that I had been asleep.

My brother wiped my cheek and frowned. "You were sobbing silently. What did you see?"

I sat up slowly and calmed myself. "A lot."

"Has there been a change?" Kaname asked.

"It was not a vision, or even a prophesy. It was a nightmare." I shuddered, and sniffled. I buried my face in my hands. "I . . . killed him." I sobbed.

"No, he is right next to you." Kaname said.

"I mean Botan." I whispered.

Kaname smiled sympathetically. "You were his buddy when you two were small. I know that everything must be really hard on you. You used to be friends with everyone you met. Now they all . . ."

I nodded. "If he had been able to see the truth, I would not have taken his life." I put my hands on the bed to keep my exhausted body from falling back down. "Now he has no second chance."

"It will take a lot, but you are a very strong person. I have unwavering faith in you, my sister. You will bring them all to enlightenment." Kaname assured me, but even my brother's words were not enough.

I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut. I had an unimaginable weight on my shoulders. "Kaname? Has the situation gotten any better?"

Kaname shook his head sadly. "I have almost tried to stay out of it but from what I can tell, it has only been getting worse. And with _his _rising . . ."

In his sleep, Mike reached an unconscious hand over and covered my own hand. His thumb wiggled under my palm, and he clasped it like he was going to hold it to comfort me. He let out a sigh, and I did too. More tears dripped down my cheeks.

"Well, we are leaving now. Are you coming?" Kaname asked all too soon.

"Will I be able to come back?" Mike asked, biting the inside of his mouth.

"Of course," I answered immediately.

Kaname frowned. "It is not wise,"

I shook my head. "We will come back sometimes. After the initial business is taken care of, I think it is a possibility that we may even be able to move back here permanently. Or, just you, depending." I shrugged, my mind whirring like an overworked machine. Mike looked like he did not feel comfortable in his own skin. He was like a lost child! I had to tell him whatever I could to make him feel better.

"Then, yes. I'll come. I want to be there for you, no matter what happens. I hope you don't mind that I want to come back?"

I smiled and shook my head. "I wouldn't want to not see my parents for any length of time. Our friends are so kind. I understand completely."

Mike half-smiled.

"So, are we leaving everything here?" I asked.

"Yes, but I would pack a few bags of clothes if I were you. We could be in Japan for a while." Kaname said.

I looked around timidly. My clothes were folded on my bookshelf.

Kaname saw this and was shocked. "I am offended! Horrified! Is this really the way you allow yourself to live?"

I laughed at his face. "Kaname, what I do own is top-notch. I do not buy sweatpants and such."

"That does not excuse it. We will buy you a real wardrobe in Japan."

I laughed harder and shook my head. "I told you: level does not affect class. This is an extreme of what I meant: a pureblood in poverty. Oh, the irony!"

Kaname frowned. "Put what you have into a bag and come on. We have a plane to catch."

I sighed and picked up my backpack, which I had left at home because I knew it would be unneeded. I emptied it of its contents and put all of my clothes and accessories inside. The bag was swollen, but it closed regardless.

"We will buy Mike new stuff, too." Kaname said as we exited my apartment.

I walked with my arm around Mike's waist, keeping him steady and such. When we reached the ground we signaled a taxi and rode it to the airport. We boarded the plane whose jets pushed us to Japan.


	7. My Return

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Seven_

My Return

I hugged my brother tight, and he put an arm around me. We walked down the Night Class sidewalk to a castle-like school. It was winter now, so there would be no students around, but it was day. The headmaster would be awake. Mike walked a little behind us, taking in the building and everything that was going on. He could probably sense the things I was feeling.

From a balcony girl stared out at us. She was very beautiful, and her eyes were deep. She, I knew though I had never seen her before, was Kaname's Yuki Cross.

Kaname opened the door and led me in wordlessly. Mike and I were led through lots of hallways before we came to a sign hanging above a mahogany door that read in Japanese "Headmaster." I quickly turned into my brother and we just squeezed each other hard for a few moments. I took a deep breath.

"This is where it begins. You are ready, Amara." Kaname whispered in Japanese.

I lifted my head to look at Mike, to make sure he was alright. Was he prepared for what lay ahead? Who knew? I doubt even he did, truly. He was, however, determined to be there for me. It was in his shining eyes, glistening like a knight's armor.

I smiled, forgetting slowly what was going on. Then I walked from my brother's arms and laid a hand on Mike's good shoulder. "Thank you." I said simply, but the words meant so many things that they were hardly simple. Mike nodded once.

"I'll be out here if you need me." he said.

I gave him a reassuring smile, and then stood back. Kaname looked at me gravely, then opened the door and walked through. I hung back, unable to move.

"Kaien? Do you have a moment? I apologize for not knocking or giving you any form of notice, but this is very important." Kaname said, his voice low.

I heard his cheery voice then, and a shudder passed through me.

"Kaname! Ah, you always drop in at just the most awkward times!" I heard the rustling of papers. "I was just . . . What is it?" Kaien's voice suddenly got suspicious.

"Shiki has awoken. He has plans to take over the senate." Kaname said.

"Shiki!" Kaien gasped. "You mean . . . and you just . . ."

I held my breath and walked into the room. My heart tried to pound out of my chest. The skinny man with glasses before me was the kindest person on the planet, and the one I had hurt the most. His eyes grew wide at the sight of me, but then a huge and unexpected grin grew on his lips.

"Amara-chan! You have grown so much! You are so beautiful!" he gushed, gathering me into a huge hug.

I laughed away my tears and hugged him back. "Kaien-sensei. I have missed you so much."

"I have missed you! Oh, I am so anguished about the circumstances, but I am so happy that you have returned!"

"As you have already guessed, she needs your protection and word." Kaname said.

"She has it! How long until he will make his move?" Kaien pulled away from me and stood at a distance, probably at realizing that I was a woman now and hugging me, a practical stranger, so tightly was inappropriate. I did not care, but he might have thought I would. Many purebloods are stiff.

"Two days after school is let back in, I have foreseen an explosive disturbance." I said.

"That is not very far off. What is the plan?" _I hope I can keep Yuki as far away from this as possible_, Kaien thought but did not add to his question.

In response to his thought, Kaname rolled over ideas in his head. _I wish I could take her to England or a tightly packed place like that. Between me and the senate being unable to locate us, Yuki would be safe then. I have to be here for Amara, though. So I will send her with Ichijo, Aido, Kain, and Seiren. They are the most trustworthy of my comrades. Are they comrades?_

"No, brother. I understand, but we may need them to back us up. Ichijo will be enough to protect Yuki. And perhaps Mike." I said.

Kaien looked irked, and I blushed.

"I am sorry. When I am with Kaname, I forget that everyone else cannot understand what we are saying when we refer to our thoughts. I was responding to his pondering over your thought about Yuki. I assure you, I am not selfish and will do everything in my power to keep her safe." I turned to Kaname. "You know Zero will be with her. With Zero and Kaien comes the vampyre hunter society. Yuki will be perfectly fine. Who we need on our side is the Night Class."

Kaname was silent.

"It is quite easy to forget just how clearly you can see into people's minds . . ." Kaien laughed lightly.

I smiled at him. "The plan is to expose Shiki's lies and show everyone the truth. Then I will come in as the good leader, and Kaname will accept me. Together we will be on the senate by law rather than by vote, like in the old days. We will have Shiki locked away." Here I paused. "It is easier said than done. There is still blood and fighting in the near future. No one is safe. It would be wise to only call the Night Class back to school."

"I can't do that," Kaien shook his head.

"The fight takes place on campus." I said.

"The Day Class?"

"I would rather not say more."

Before anyone could continue, I smelled Mike's delicious blood as he silently enter the room. He was taking slow, nervous steps. A smile spread across my face and I turned to him with an extended arm to beckon him closer. "Come on in. Perfect time to introduce you. This is Kaien Cross, pacifist extraordinaire, headmaster of this academy, and ex-vampyre hunter." I told him. "He is like a godfather to me."

Mike timidly walked up next to me and smiled at Kaien, unsure of how to greet him. "Hi," he said.

I looked back at Kaien, who was about the same height as me. In the language he could understand, I introduced Mike. "This is Michelangelo Thomson, a human from my school in America."

Kaien cocked his head. "Are they after him, too?"

"They know that I fought to protect him, and so he is the biggest liability I have." I said.

"Are you dating?"

I laughed. "I am just focused on saving his life at the moment."

Kaien laughed, too. Then he shook Mike's hand. "_Hello_." he said in English. His attempt to speak in English was hilarious because of the amount of determination and effort it took to say one word.

"Hello." Mike replied.

After eyeing Mike, Kaien grinned at me. "I will give you both my protection if you two accept my three conditions."

I sighed. "He wants to give us conditions in exchange for his protection," I told Mike, who nodded once.

"I want you two to enroll in the Day Class to promote peace between the humans and vampyres. I want you to set an example, and you are the prime lab rat for the job, since you have had prior experience being schooled with humans. So, it will help me to get more vampyres on the pacifist side and you will be staying away from the Night Class so that we can hide you until Shiki makes his move." Kaien announced.

I smiled. "Alright. That is one that we can do." I quickly explained to Mike what Kaien had just said, then asked what the other conditions were.

"You must support my pacifism before the senate and such, and you must both share dorms with other humans like they do."

I explained to Mike, then told Kaien that we agreed. He was ecstatic.

"So! We have a little adventure ahead of us."

"You have a little adventure before you. I have a large one." I said rather glumly.

"I will show you to your rooms. I see you have bags. You are vampyres, so you can carry them yourselves." Kaien rushed out of the room, and we followed. "Kaname, will you be staying in the Night Class dormitory?"

"I will stay with Amara until the Day Class students come back, if that is alright." he said.

"Very well. You have not seen each other in a very long time." Kaien noted.

"A very long time." I agreed.

The rest of the time I spent in either my dorm or Mike's. Kaname took us shopping for groceries for Mike and clothes for us both. We did not see Yuki around. Kaname looked hopeful to, but I knew that we would not. I began teaching Mike Japanese. Then, the Day Class students began trickling in and finally school started.

"When are you going to accept that you are only fourteen in human years?" Kaname whispered in my ear.

I chuckled. "When I stop looking like I am seventeen. But hey, I am aging slower with every day that passes."

"We have two new students joining us today: Amara Brian and Michelangelo Thomson. They are foreign exchange students from America." the teacher said.

I heard murmurings and even some giggles and laughs, and saw the teacher wave us through the door. Kaname disappeared down the hall after giving me a good luck smile. I looked at Mike one last time before heading into the classroom to be seen by all of the students in their desks on risers, like a college classroom. I heard a shockwave pass over the students, and even the teacher stared.

_"She's even more beautiful than the Night Class students!"_

_"She's hotter than even Kaname Kuran!" _

_"He's not so bad-looking, himself. He's horribly easy on the eyes." _

_"Ha ha! Too bad about his arm, though. He cannot hug very well!" _

The talking took off. I smiled back at nervous Mike. He was greeting the crowd with his eyes, but not meeting any of theirs. My gaze skimmed over the students, learning and remembering each of their faces. I quickly located Yuki, who was sitting forward with much interest in her eyes. She looked a little . . . sad?

She had seen me with Kaname and was now comparing herself to me. A feeling in my gut told me that we would fix that issue tomorrow. I let the worry fall to the back of my head.

I sensed an odd mix of emotions coming from a desk above and behind Yuki. I looked up and immediately knew that I was looking at Zero Kiryu. He was leaning forward, his back arched with fatigue, his hand covering his forehead and his eyes squeezed shut. He could have been sleeping. He could have been tired and hungry. Zero was both a vampyre and a vampyre hunter. His family had been killed by a woman named Shizuka, and Kaname had killed her. Zero's twin brother had followed the woman, and now hated Zero. (After a small physic stutter, I continue to know more.) Zero had little reason to live, and hated himself as well as all other vampyres, especially Kaname. He did not trust Kaname with his reason for living – Yuki – though he knew that it was inevitable that Kaname would get the girl.

How sad.

"So, tell us a little about yourselves." the teacher said, her voice a little bit higher than before.

"I love reading, and the majority of what I read is Japanese." I said.

"And you?"

Mike smiled feebly. "I do not speak Japanese well. Uh, I like chess."

"Thank you very much. I expect all students to welcome these two warmly. Amara, Michelangelo, you may go find seats." the teacher nodded toward the rest of the classroom.

I bowed my head thank you, and led Mike up to the top row where there were two seats that had no residents. We took out our notebooks and pencils, and began learning. Mike had a lot of trouble that day, and that evening he vented to me about the stress. I knew I would have to tutor him in every subject, not just Japanese, but it would have to wait until the chaos to come had died down. I comforted him in that it was hard stuff, and the Japanese were advanced. I was a lot older than I looked, and had been tutored through college level stuff before I had even left Japan when I was visibly three.

We studied in his dorm, which he shared with a rather small boy. When I looked up at the doorway, finding that Zero was watching us did not surprise us. The rumors being spread about our beauty had sparked his curiosity. What made him climb the steps to Mike's dorm was the commotion about the hottest girl in the world being in the guys' dormitories.


	8. My Wrong and Temporary Impression

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

Book One, Chapter Eight

_My Wrong (and Temporary) Impression_

Zero leaned in the open doorway. I regarded him, but otherwise ignored him. Mike kept glancing up at him, antsy, and I gave him a smile that told him to calm down.

Mike sighed. "I'll never be able to keep up with these kids,"

I shook my head. "Mike, you are incredibly intelligent."

"Yeah, in my old school, back when I didn't have all of this _other _stress to deal with and back when my teachers didn't speak in _Japanese_."

I noticed that Mike's teeth were gritted. "How are your wounds?"

Even in English, Mike was sure that Zero could catch the gist of what we were discussing. He blushed. "Sore."

"It is the stress." I frowned. "Your body is not healing the way that it should."

Mike cocked his head. At this point, he knew a little more about vampyres' abilities. Now he wondered if I had X-ray vision. The look on his face made me crack up.

"Do not worry. I am no doctor, or anything close. I am just making an observation. Actually, I could be very wrong, being that I, myself, heal so quickly." I assured him.

The room, with the blinds closed, was very dark. It was much darker with Zero's glare sucking out all of the light. I had no problem with this, but it annoyed me that Mike had to struggle to read my notes.

"Let me read them to you in Japanese, and you tell me what you perceive." I suggested. I took the notes from him and began to recite the lesson. Mike's eyebrows pulled together in response. I felt sorry for him, and repeated it slowly. Mike took a guess, using what little knowledge of the language he had, and I ended up trying not to laugh.

"No," I smiled. "Perhaps we should move on to your Japanese tutoring."

Mike smiled at me gratefully. "Thanks."

"Hey, you have been doing an excellent job. You must not realize just how amazing it is that you have learned the basics of a language in two weeks. I am really proud of your drive to do this."

"What choice did I have?" Mike laughed, looking away.

"Well, you did not have to learn so much so quickly." I said. Then I shifted into a position so that I was looking straight at him, and cleared my face of expression. Then, I spoke a statement in Japanese, giving Mike hints with my face. Then I asked a question, and looked confused. I exclaimed that Mike's hair was on fire, and looked . . . well, more like I was seeing the funniest thing on Earth than if I was actually seeing his head in flames. Mike laughed, and translated.

"You are being a really good sport about tutoring me. I know I am a slow learner. It must be especially annoying for you, since you are supposed to be in college already."

I shook my head. "Mike, you are in all advanced classes. You are on the President's List. You have won scholarships, and made it to the state spelling bee. You have made the same grades as me! You are not a slow learning. Japanese is as hard as it sounds."

"I don't think I was this slow when taking ninth grade Spanish." Mike sighed.

I laughed. "Hello? Spanish is a Romance language, so it is not that different from English. It is far easier than a whole new language."

I heard a voice in the hallway. Curious, I turned to the doorway. Mike peered around me to see, too.

A guy who had introduced himself to me right after school as the president of the class was talking to Zero very quickly and with uninsured authority.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

Zero was silent, with an expression that suggested that his emotions of annoyance and contempt pained him.

The President looked inside the room and saw me. He gasped, and blushed. "Uh, Amara! What are you doing here? Zero, aren't you going to do anything about her? It's against the rules for a female to be in the boys' dormitories!" he said, though he was only covering up for his embarrassment and did not actually wish for me to leave.

"I knew it was against the laws, but really I did not want to sit outside in the cold to study. I am sure Mike and I can find another place to study in. Thank you for being lenient, Zero." I stood. Mike stood, too. We gathered our books quickly and moved past a rather stunned Zero. I sensed him hesitate behind us.

He would follow.

***

Zero had never encountered anyone quite as simultaneously innocent and dangerous as me. I was, of course, a vampyre who walked around like I owned the land and air wherever I was. I had the royal attitude that most vampyres had. I had the gleam in my eye, the smug air. I could walk right overtop of someone and they would do nothing but gawk. Zero hated vampyres to begin with, but I upset him an unusual amount. He had respect for me though he knew not why. He could not help it, and it ate him alive.

He clenched and unclenched his fists. Not even Kaname . . . _took _Zero's respect the way that I did.

And he sensed that I had thoroughly upset Yuki. She would not tell him how. Zero had never seen Yuki the way that I made her ever before. Yuki was a modest girl, but she did not let anything crush her easily. She fought hard to be strong. Now I was making anger and despair bubble in her heart. In a day (Zero thought) I had pierced through Yuki's defenses.

I sighed inwardly. Zero was not very hard to peer into, himself. My eyes unfocused, I gently read Zero's thoughts. Zero paced in his room because he unconsciously knew of my gazing into his mind.

"Amara?"

I smiled at Mike, hardly able to see him but always watching. "Zero is upset."

Zero went to the Headmaster's home as I spoke with Mike in Japanese. (He insisted on working until sundown, even through supper.) I kept listening to his thoughts because there was an important conversation he was about to have with Yuki after they ate dinner with Kaien.

"What are your thoughts about the new girl?" he asked her lowly on their way to the Night Class gates.

"Amara's . . . pretty." Yuki said glumly.

"I mean, what do you _feel _about her?"

Yuki glanced at Zero to find that he was genuinely worried. Yukie felt compelled to reply. "I feel that she has a good heart." she said truthfully.

"You don't think she's dangerous?"

"I feel that she has a good heart." Yuki shrugged, and let out a defeated sigh. "She is a vampyre, right?"

Zero nodded.

Yuki shook her head, as if trying to shake her thoughts away. "She's very powerful. Even I can sense that. It's had not to. But she's got good intentions."

"Okay . . ." Zero had not expected that answer.

Yuki looked away from Zero.

"Hey, Amara? You kinda got really quiet." Mike whispered to me.

I slumped down against the wall of the school, letting my head fall back against the brick. I almost dived into Yuki's mind, but I felt a wave of . . . _something_. I pulled back quickly. Perhaps it was a wave of danger from the immediate future – the Night Class leaving their dorms to make their way to school? I knew that was not it.

I smiled. Yukie was a very complex character.

I left the thought realm knowingly and returned to where my body was sitting beside Mike. The moonlight did wonders to his already angelic face. I smiled wider.

"Hey," I said.

Mike smiled back. "Hey."

"The Night Class students are leaving their dorms now." I informed him. "Stay quiet from here on out."

Mike nodded once.

All at once I was very aware of Mike's right hand next to mine in the grass. With the leap of my heart I clasped my hands in my lap, disguising my retreat as a bored move.

The air became very still and the footsteps of the Night Class students rang in my ears louder than the sounding of church bells, though Mike heard nothing at all. I kept myself calm. Even Mike was almost silent. He must have felt my fear.

Finally I heard footsteps approaching. I smiled with relief as Kaname stepped around the corner and crouched in front of Mike and me, a grin on his face.

"Hey, guys. How was school?" he asked, sounding truly like a big brother.

Mike smiled sheepishly. "It was difficult."

"Mike's doing great, having just begun learning the language." I told Kaname.

"Maybe after everything is over you can continue your education here. I would love to have your company." Kaname said.

I mentally kicked him in the shin. Kaname's face snapped into a repentant wince and then back to normal before Mike could notice.

Mike shrugged. "Maybe."

I quickly changed the subject. "I am not certain as to what exactly will set off the prophesy, but I know that between this past morning and tomorrow after school the trigger will have slowly been pulled. Are you going to be able to sneak out of the dorms?" I asked Kaname.

"I will try, but Kaien likes to think that even I will follow rules." my brother replied.

"It is not urgent that you get there on time. I have a feeling things will be okay if you are late."

Kaname nodded. I almost heard him ask what was going to happen to Mike, but he decided against it in the nick of time. I would not have liked it had the words escaped his lips.

Kaname sighed. "Our interrupters have arrived."

Zero walked up to us nearly without making a peep. Yuki walked behind him, using him unconsciously as a shield. I realized that this was one of the reasons my brother felt that Yuki would choose Zero instead of him.

"Kuran. You should be heading to class." Zero nodded and my brother. His eyes were very serious and threatening.

My brother almost looked as he was defeated . . . but then again, my brother always looked rather down. But then I noticed his eyes catch Yuki, and he forgot all about Zero's false authority. He became worried.

Kaname stood. He nodded and walked to class, pondering about how Yuki was so intimidated his sister. He wished he could make her pain go away, but he had no clue how.

Then he turned to me. "Goodbye." he said, his words very similar-sounding to what a commander would say before he led his troops to battle.

I nodded sadly. I yearned to embrace by big sibling, but in the presence of Yuki and Zero I suppressed it.

I stood, along with Mike. I smiled at Zero. "Again, I am sorry for undermining the rules, Disciplinary Committee. I respect the job you do. However, sometimes lines must be crossed." I bowed to them, unsure of whether or not that was proper in that case but of course not with hesitance.

Mike and I walked silently down the path to the Sun Dorms. We could feel Zero and Yuki's eyes on us, but they were out of hearing range.

"Amara?" Mike's voice suddenly sounded really tiny and scared, making me whip around to face him.

"Yes?" I answered.

* * *

What do you think should happen? If I like your idea, I may use it. (Keep in mind that I have the story planned out and that the window of opportunity only lasts until I post Chapter Seventeen.) How do you think Amara's prophesized day should go, and what should happen afterward? Use your imagination. I have left a flexible open space for my readers to fill in. Anything could happen . . .


	9. My NonComforting Words

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

Book One, Chapter Nine

_My Non-Comforting Words_

"Can you tell me now," Mike asked quietly, "what exactly is going to happen tomorrow?"

I felt so horrible about everything . . . I just could not keep it from him any longer. He deserved to know just how he was putting his life in danger. I took a deep breath, wishing that there was a better place for us to talk. When we entered the gates a great deal of time before Zero and Yuki, we made a run for it. I dragged Mike by his good wrist to the back of a building, checked to make sure we could not be overheard, then peeked around to make sure that I knew the locations of Zero and Yuki. When I dubbed it safe, I sat on the grass cross-legged.

Mike looked sad and tired and worried and, above all, terrified. He was so small . . . his weak body and tender feelings . . . I put a hand on his knee when he had sat down.

I took a deep breath. "Well, Mike. Let me begin by telling you how my prophesies. The reason that I get a prophesy instead of a vision of the future is usually that the future is not set in stone, and is still being woven. Prophesies are much vaguer than visions because they skip minor parts and things that have not been decided are . . . _blurry _enough that I can scarcely comprehend them – mostly as good or bad, painful or anger-inducing. Visions are full movie-like premonitions, but I do not understand every part of them. Does that make any sense?"

"Uh, not exactly . . ."

"Well, when I get a prophesy it is usually at night. The moon gives me power, whereas the sun takes it. I might be dreaming. I might be staring off in space. My mind then becomes subject to a higher being, and I can hardly recognize it as mine anymore. I do not think in my voice. I do not actually think at all. I simply know. I begin seeing things. Small glimpses, usually in great detail but that disappear quickly. I hear words, like someone is telling me the details of the prophesy, like where and when. Sometimes I just know things such as names and what kind of building or something it takes place in. Unlike visions, I understand most of the things that go on in prophesies, like I am a part of the brains present in them. I know causes and effects, as well as feelings and responses. They can last a second, and give me the happenings of an entire year, or they can last hours and give me the information on something as small as a card game. Sometimes I see a frozen and blurry picture and hear one word, such as 'danger'. Do you understand?"

Mike nodded. "A higher being?"

I smiled slowly and nodded. "I have an almost direct link to some sort of higher being. I have explored this being, but can only tell that it is love, and it is what binds all souls. It is like my soul is in a hallway with a master key while everyone else's souls are locked in their rooms."

"Can you read minds?"

"Usually. Most of the time only when I want to or when my instincts tune me in for safety purposes. I try to let people have privacy. And sometimes I just do not wish to hear what they are thinking." I shuddered, and Mike cracked a smile.

"Are all people monsters?" Mike asked.

I was a little shocked by his question, but I saw in his eyes that he saw it, too. I nodded. "Yes. Everyone has a yin and yang. Usually their evil halves are more prevalent than they realize."

Mike sighed. "That is sad."

"I agree. But if you forgive them and relate, it makes things so much easier."

Mike covered my hand with his own. "Amara . . . what will happen tomorrow?"

I frowned. "I cannot tell you."

"Why not?"

"It would mess up the balance – and if that happens, I feel immense pain. I . . . I cannot even get the words to leave my lips. I go mute when I try to tell someone even a tiny hint about one, and sometimes I collapse because I am not allowed air. A leash comes with my freedom into the hallway and into others' minds."

Mike looked a little paler than before. Impulsively I took his hand that was on mine in both of my hands and held it gently. "Take comfort in knowing that it was a prophesy and not a vision, Mike. I have known prophesies to take wild turns that I do not foresee."

Mike would not meet my eyes. "Are you going to die?" he whispered almost silently into the night.

My heart squeezed, and I got quickly to my knees to embrace him. He was a little shocked at first, then hugged me back.

"I really am not sure." I admitted, smiling.

I was still never ready for what was to come, even though it would hardly be a surprise.


	10. My Prophesy Begins

Has anyone other than me noticed that I go back and forth between italicizing and underlining the chapter title and the book title? I apologize. I tried to be sofisticated for Amara, but it seems that I cannot even spell "Kiryu" right two times in a row. :)

Please, everyone, if you have an idea or even if you don't go ahead and tell me what you would like to happen. I write about ten chapters ahead of what I post, and so I have finished the first book and will have to start on the second (simply because) soon, and the sooner I know what you want the sooner I can begin. I may have to write it without any fan imput . . . :(

* * *

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Ten_

My Prophesy Begins

I felt a glare that felt like someone was stabbing me with a hot knife. I looked down, though there was absolutely no need – I knew exactly whose stare it was. Yuki Cross. Her reason: I was laughing with Mike when she had seen me hugging Kaname.

I felt a pang of annoyance. In the possible hours to come, she would regret feeling resentment toward me.

"Brian-kohai? What answer do you have?" the teacher called, inserting kindness and patience into her voice for my American benefit.

I had not written anything down, nor had I attempted to solve the question she had assigned for us to test ourselves with. I simply glanced at the board, figured out the question in my head, and answered. The teacher seemed very pleased.

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I knew what was coming and when. I did not need to remind myself so _sharply_.

"Brian-kohai, tell me: how far into this subject did your American school go?"

I smiled. It was not this woman's fault that she just put my prophesy into play. "Actually, I was tutored."

"Wow. What grade level are you supposed to be on?" the woman raised her eyebrows.

"I had graduated before I decided to go to Mike's school." I admitted.

"Wow." the teacher's remarks of praise were echoed through the classroom. "How did you manage to learn so quickly?"

"Like other homeschooled children, I had a lot of time and no distractions. Plus, I was able to figure things out for myself, and find alternative paths. In a normal school, kids learn only what their teacher teaches. I was given full freedom over my lessons by my tutor."

"Do you have any secrets you would like to share with the class?" the teacher shifted feet, grinning ecstatically.

I laughed lightly. "Of course, I would be happy to share." I stood and walked down the steps to the front of the class. The kids murmured and gushed over me. I almost shouted at them to shut up.

I reached the front of the class and for the next five minutes, I blew the students' and teacher's minds. I did so with regret.

"Oh my goodness! My dear, you belong in college! No, better yet: you belong in the Night Class! You are simply brilliant. Have you met any of the Night Class students? They really seem to be your type of people." the teacher gushed.

I was alarmed by her statement. A calming whisper came into my head in my own voice: You are not like them. You have a bigger heart than any of them could ever hope to have. They are cold, like their parents.

Then why, I asked myself, did I not run? I knew the answer: I forgave them, and wanted them to have a second chance.

"I am going to get the Headmaster down here right away." the teacher continued, and picked up her phone.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why? So that he can see your brilliance!" she exclaimed.

"Please, do not bother. Headmaster Cross is an old friend of mine. If you call him here he will stop what he is doing and come learn what he already knows." I said, smiling shyly.

"But, my dear, you could be a teacher here. How could he know that and not put you into advanced classes?"

"I should be in college, but I choose to be with kids my age." I said. "I have chosen to be in this class specifically."

Then, although my face did not show it, I felt a painful pang in my head that meant that I had probably just broken the floodgate that would bring a definite future corresponding with my prophesy.

"If you are positive . . ." the teacher seemed disappointed to learn that she was not the first teacher to discover just how well my tutor had taught me and had allowed me to teach myself.

I nodded. "I am. Thank you, though, for your generous compliments."

"Oh, you are welcome. You know what? I would love – and I think your classmates would, too – if you would continue to teach us the lesson?"

I smiled. "I would be honored." I then turned to the class. "If anyone has trouble keeping up or does not understand, do not hesitate to ask for me to repeat or restate. No one method works for everybody."

The class was very quiet and intent for the next hour. Then, in the class after that, I was again called on to teach. Word of my intelligence was spreading faster than I thought possible. During lunch I escaped to my dorm to down two glasses of blood-by-tablets and then back to Mike's table before the prefects Zero and Yuki could detect me. Walking back from the dining hall I felt a warning like a heat wave, and I knew which teacher was going to be holding the gun whose trigger had been pulling since Botan tried to execute me.

I walked into the class for my last session of the day, pale and quiet.

"So, when is the thing going to happen?" Mike whispered to me during after we had taken our seats.

"Soon, I believe. I . . . I am counting down the minutes," I said. I heard and saw numbers, and they were getting smaller with each second that passed. I figured this was a countdown, but, with me, it could have been almost anything. I was very focused on my prophesy, so my 'count down' theory made sense.

"What number are you on?" Mike asked nervously.

"It is fine, Mike. Things are going to go pretty smoothly for the first few minutes. I will be able to . . . divert . . . the danger from . . . you." It was nearly impossible for me to tell a lie about a prophesy or vision, and it almost physically hurt me to say the things I said. I worried over whether or not (and of course he had) Mike had picked up that I was lying.

Mike stared at me for a few moments. Then, he turned sharply back to his notebook. "I think I missed something important."

I laughed out loud. A few people turned to me, but the teacher was too engrossed in her lesson to pay any mind. "Mike," I said, "here. Use my notes."

"What's so funny?" Mike asked, confused.

I smiled at him. "You . . . are worried about your notes."

"Yes. Learning in Japanese is extremely difficult, in case you haven't noticed, being as you are my tutor and all." Mike frowned, annoyed with me.

I sighed and shook my head. "It is quite difficult. Just use my notes and you'll be fine. I'll even translate what you don't know the next time I can."

"Brian-kohai, are you familiar with this subject, as well? Enough so to teach it?" the teacher, a man, called.

"Yes, Sensei. If you wish." I answered, knowing I had just given myself the death sentence.

"Excellent! Then, Brian-kohai, class, I would like to introduce to you Hattori-sensei: a Night Class professor." he announced. The teacher held his arms out to the door as it opened and a grown vampyre walked into the classroom.

Mike glanced at me, but I am pretty sure he got his answer by my wide eyes. I fixed my face to be happy and fresh, but inside I was screaming and sobbing, quaking apart with terror.

The grown vampyre man walked in and eyed the class wordlessly. Slowly, he took a seat in the front of the class which the human teacher had swiftly offered him.

The teacher waved me down. "Come please, Brian-kohai, and enlighten us." Then he scrambled to sit next to the prestigious Night Class teacher.

I stood and walked down to the front of the class as if I was floating on air. My cover was blown. I did not have to look at Hattori-sensei (or even read his mind, for that matter) to know that he was mulling over my identity. So there was no reason to insert an imperfect sway into my step the way that humans walk unconsciously. I was as good as found out.

I took the chalk into my pale fingers and began, projecting my voice so that all students could hear. The class' human teacher asked a few questions, which I answered easily. None of the students did; they did not get a chance before I had answered them. Yuki slumped down in her seat. Zero glared, leaning forward on his elbows. Time passed quickly.

I could have put reasoning into the students' heads, but I chose not to. I had learned that way, and was not normal. They needed to be normal. Just because I could fish the secrets of the world out and copy them into my mental webbing did not mean that they should have the same done to them.

Soon the school bell rang. My mental alarm bell was seconds away from the same fate.

I glanced over at the vampyre teacher, who was gaping. His cigarette had fallen from his mouth. He had figured it out.

Mike ran down the isle to me and, while the kids talked enthusiastically about me amongst themselves, ushered me out of the door.

"Mike," I whispered with a pained voice, "there is nothing we can do," I began, but then it happened.

"I don't know what you're up to, but if you think I am stupid you are wrong and it's going to come back to bite you."

I froze as the last bell nearly shook my knees out from under me. I gave a small gasp, and clutched the wall. My mind whirred, immediately finding the safest route. My mouth opened, and I slowly took a steadying breath before turning back to Zero. Of course, not a beat had been skipped. I smiled pleasantly at him as Mike and I ducked into the hallway to make way for the onslaught of students rushing from the school to their dorms or wherever.

"Yes, Kiryu-kohai. I know you are not stupid, and you are correct in your knowledge of me. But, you see, you only have half of the picture. I would like to keep you as innocent as possible, and so if you do not mind, I will now leave Mike in your care while I step outside. . . ."

I ignored Mike's gasp but as I had expected, Zero did not react as Yuki would have. He did not gawk as I turned and left. He got angry and annoyed.

"No. You are coming with me to the Headmaster's office. Both of you." Zero let his anger fuel his authority.

Another wave hit me, though not as hard as the first. Trying to catch my breath without anyone noticing, I nodded. "Alright. We are not looking for a fight. Come, Mike."

There was a high whistle in my head, bothersome but not painful, while we walked through the school to Kaien's office. Zero moved quickly. I had no trouble keeping up, of course, but Mike looked paranoid. His anxiety plus the speed at which Zero forced him to hurry caused him to take deeper breaths.

I knew it was not something I could help, but I really thought that the idea of showing Zero that he was supposed to be the intimidated, not my intimidator, and that I was alpha was a good one. My instincts were begging me to scorn Zero and to pick Mike up and carry him (and Kaname would have, if it were he and Yuki in Mike's and my position) but my logic thought better of it. Anyway, Zero would learn sooner or later, if he had not already.

Mike's Day Class uniform looked out of place on him, I noticed. He was such a casual person, and horribly uncomfortable in formal settings. Not that he did not do a great job in them, despite his feelings. I supposed that he felt self-conscious. Anyhow, it propelled him to dance better in cotillion. His every step was well thought out.

The whistling was taunting me now.

I sighed. When Zero flung open Kaien's office door, I was already as angry as him.

"Headmaster, are you aware that Brian is obviously a vampyre? How are you allowing her to walk amongst mortals?! They are in danger!" Zero exploded, making Kaien jump and toss his papers.

I frowned. I knew his unsaid words. He thought that I was the lowest of demons; the spawn of the devil himself. Zero's thoughts did not have to be read. I simply knew.

"Uh, Zero, you are aware that there is a human in our presence . . ." Kaien started, but was cut off.

"It makes no difference! He obviously knows about her! How could he not?"

"He is vaguely aware of my status." I said quietly.

Zero whipped around and glared at Mike. "Are you aware that your girlfriend here drinks human blood?"

Mike was frowning, perplexed. With difficulty he replied, "I agree, I do know that."

"And you aren't scared? Are you her blood source?"

"Zero! That is enough!" Kaien quickly got to his feet and came around the desk to stand between Zero, Mike, and me. "Now, look. Amara is a friend of mine. She was sent to America because she wanted to be with humans. She is different from other vampyres, and feels that she belongs with humans. She is only slightly different from you, Zero: she was born a vampyre."

"How am I supposed to believe that just because she wants to be with humans doesn't mean that she wants to drink their blood? It's ignorant, Headmaster . . ."

"Stop. Amara is not tempted easily. She has been around humans for long enough that her humanity overpowers her instincts. The students are safer with her around than with you, Zero, so stop being so hypocritical. Nothing about her or her being here is of your business."

"I cannot deny my instincts. Amara Brian radiates danger. And you should feel it too, because Yuki does."

Kaien shook his head. "There is much for you to learn about Amara, but I understand that she has some matters to take care of today so the time for you to learn is not now. Please, everyone, leave my office."

Zero gawked silently, and I took my chance to whisper to Kaien. "What should I do about Mike? I feel the seconds ticking by. It is going to be very soon. Actually, it has already begun . . ."

"Headmaster, she is supposed to be in college! There has to be ulterior reasons! And look at the way that the human boy looks at her – she has him under a spell!"

I let out a little huff, restraining myself from attacking Zero. His words really hurt me. Mike was a good guy naturally, but could it have been that the reason he was with me was because I had him under a spell?

"Zero, silence yourself. You have gone too far. I know Amara very well, and I can assure you that you have no reasons to worry – not that it is your place at all." Kaien shot a look at the boy he had taken in years before.

"Amara, I want to stay with you." Mike said very quietly but very sternly.

I turned to him, a little shocked at hearing his voice. "Uh, Mike, but that is the only way I can avert the danger from you. It would make things harder for everyone if you were found out about."

"Like in this case, I can be the proof that you are not dangerous." Mike's eyes went wide. "Unless . . . that's what you want?"

"No, Mike. I am not using you, nor will I use you. I just want you safe."

"I'm not weak."

"You are human."

"Perhaps, but I am not stupid. I can get you out of dangerous situations. I have made my decision. I am sticking by you. Even now. My Japanese is not the best, but I can vouch for you."

Was he asking for my permission? I supposed that was courteous and not weird. In the vampyre world, such an inquiry would be called for. Was I really cut out for this world, anyway?

"You will not get Zero mad at you without consequences." I said sternly. I turned to Kaien. "My apologies, but I must be excused now."

Kaien nodded once, giving me my cue. I dragged Mike out of the door. I was furious that I felt tears pooling in my eyes. Gritting my teeth, I whipped around and pinned Mike to the wall just one hallway away from Kaien's office.

Mike gasped, but not because of my hands on his shoulders. They were far too light by my own will to hurt him even a little.

"Mike, I am wanted by the vampyre senate for my execution. If they think for one minute that there is more than one reason I should be brought down – say, perhaps, for having a human consort (which you are not, but they will find something) – then you could possibly meet the same fate as me. I will not have that. I was honestly a fool for letting you come, and I see that now. But I just could not stand the thought of them sending someone back to interrogate my friends – you would actually be sucked in more violently than with me here to protect you but I should have sent you to one of your distant relatives or something . . ."

"Please, stop rambling. You think I am an ignorant child, but I'm not. I . . . on days when you looked happiest I could always see pain and sadness in your eyes. On days that you were quiet I could tell that gears were speeding away in your mind. Times when nasty jokes were told, I could see your distaste even though you tried to not scorn your friends. I could see the love in your eyes even then. I could see the compassion when you stood up for us against bullies, and when that jock broke Melissa's heart. You . . . pity instead of hate. And when the teachers taught sometimes I looked over at you and saw you figuring alternative paths because the one he was using was too complex for human minds. I noticed when you thought these things, then looked over at me and saw that I had figured it out." Mike laughed lightly now, then met my eyes. The light in them bewildered me. "I am intuitive, and I catch things you do not know I do. I can fix things. I can be there for you. You do not have to handle this alone."

I nearly burst into tears. "But, Mike . . ." My voice trailed off.

Mike shook his head. "I am coming with you."

A sigh escaped my throat, and it felt so good.

"That was touching and all, but the vampyre senate wants you dead, so you can't be all that the Headmaster thinks you are."

I frowned at Zero, taking my hands off of Mike's shoulders and releasing him from the wall. "He knows that already."

"He's crazy, and I am not going to take you to him for him to handle again. This time I am going to get what I want by myself." Zero growled.

"Why does this matter to you?" I snapped protectively. "The senate means nothing to you."

"Because. It matters to Yuki." he said darkly.

I felt a small wave that was closer to a nudge. Resentfully, I nodded. There was no point to stalling. Everything was going to be the way it was in my prophesy, no matter what I did. I had a free range of knowledge, but perhaps I was too weak to ever change anything. Perhaps I did not have control over my own destiny. Without the illusion of control (as everyone else did) I was aware of my weakness.

Mike tried to walk confidently to the door that led to the Cross Academy's rather small campus. As did I. Zero flung open the door with one arm, completely lacking awareness as to what lay outside that Mike and I possessed.


	11. My Trouble

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Eleven_

My Trouble

Zero did not stop on the campus. He proceeded toward the Moon Dorms and then to the forest surrounding them. I quickly told myself that the students inside were sleeping and that I did not have to worry, but still it was frightening to me to think that people who wanted me dead were on the other side of the Moon Dorm gates. Zero was oblivious as he led us deeper into the trees.

"Shit." he stopped very suddenly and cursed. The cold, moist leaves on the ground helped him wheel around swiftly.

I almost smiled smugly as Yuki ran through the trees to us. "Zero, what are you doing?" she asked hesitantly. She stopped, glancing between the three of us, gauging our faces. She took a few cautious steps toward Zero until she was angled behind him.

"I told you not to follow us, didn't I?" Zero growled.

"Yeah, but I got really worried when I saw you all marching toward the Moon Dorms."

Zero sighed and shook his head. "Yuki, this is no place for a human . . ."

"He's here." Yuki said defensively, glancing at Mike.

I closed my eyes. "Say what you have to say, Zero, so that I can make my argument and leave."

"I want to know what you are planning, and why the senate wants you dead." I heard a gun caulk, and felt the presence of the barrel a hair away from my forehead.

"I share the same pacifistic ideals as the Headmaster. Is it that hard to understand? My conviction is unfair, and during my visit in Japan I plan to clear my name."

I sensed Zero shaking his head. "You are avoiding giving me the full answer."

"Why do you think you have the right to know? Besides, I was planning on telling you eventually but not at this moment."

Zero laughed harshly. "Okay: why not?"

"Because the senate will be here any minute to apprehend me."

"Every word you say brings me closer to the conclusion that you do not have the humans' best interest in mind. You are hiding here when you know the senate will follow you here to get you? You are putting the humans in danger. Did you know that? Of course you did, as _brilliant _as you are."

I opened my eyes. "I did know that. But I also knew that it was inevitable. It is thanks to you, I do believe, that the showdown between the senate and I will happen here and not in front of the students . . ."

"Ah! I can feel you messing with my brain!" Zero shook his head violently and stuffed the Bloody Rose Gun into his jacket somewhere. I noticed only a second before he launched himself at me that his eyes were blood red and his teeth itched to bite. What was it about me that inspired such dramatic emotions in vampyres? Calm, cool, and usually collected Zero Kiryu looked like he was going to loose himself.

My back slammed against a tree. It provided just enough resistance to prevent it from falling over. Zero's arm, just under my collar bone, threatened to break my ribs. Birds fled from the area noisily. Mike gawked. Yuki covered her mouth and her eyes were wide. Zero looked murderous.

"It is my duty to protect Yuki, and it is my job to protect humans from vampyres. As you probably already know, I am a vampyre hunter as well as a common vampyre; one that had once been human." Zero's arm had a lot of force and strength and was fueled by raw emotion. I could not get air into my lungs. His fury was disorienting.

Zero's hand flicked backward, preparing to inflict some sort of pain on me.

"I will protect this school from idiotic liars like you. Now: why is the senate after you?" Zero demanded.

"I will tell you all later, but the senate . . ."

"I am not going to follow the Headmaster, vampyre! I am telling you that I will kill you unless you give me cold hard proof that your intentions are for the best – not that any vampyre's are."

I wanted to fight back so badly, especially now that I felt immense pain in my chest and was hardly able to breathe. Then I glanced over at Mike.

"Zero, I was wrongly convicted of slaughter on a large scale." I began to cough maniacally as he pressed harder. "I am in the Day Class because the aristocrats in the Night Class are with the senate and will try to turn me in before I can plead my case. Please, let me go now – you are choking me!" Water trickled from my eyes.

"I don't think so. I'm not convinced." Zero shot a look at Mike.

"You are going to kill her!" Mike attempted to cry, but he was so scared that it came out as an English whisper.

Kaname ran up exactly when I knew he would. "Zero, let her go!"

Zero laughed. "I don't think so, Kuran. I know you two are plotting something bad, and I will not allow it. You're gonna be the next one on this tree!

"All of you vampyres are the same. You are monsters in human form. There is no possibility that you could ever have good intentions." Zero shook his head. "Your senate does not even try to keep order. It is just a hoax to make a couple of old vampyres think that they have control over the others. You are all power- and blood-hungry, and that is all you are."

"Let her go! She can barely breathe," Kaname's eyes were wide with worry. He put an urgent hand on Zero's arm.

Zero roared and in a flash grabbed the Bloody Rose Gun from his jacket (Perhaps from his belt? I did not look) and pressed its barrel against my brother's head. Meanwhile, his arm began to crack my ribs and collar bone. My teeth were gritted behind my relaxed lips.

"Zero, you have got it wrong. Amara hid in America from the senate for years, but now she is back to save the world from a man who has just resurrected . . ."

"Save it, Kuran. This is for my twin brother, Ichiru, and everyone who has ever been fooled by you stupid vampyres . . . !"

"Stop, Zero! Hear him out!" Yuki cried, throwing down her hands.

Very calmly, Kaname said, "This girl, Amara Kuran, is my younger sister. If you hurt her, I will kill you. You know you do not stand a chance. Not even the Bloody Rose Gun will greaten the odds of your survival. Zero, my patience for you is at its thinnest. You have two seconds to back away from my sister."

Zero's eyes went a little bit wider with fear. In disbelief, he gawked at Kaname. Yuki's jaw was limp; she covered her gaping mouth with her hand. She glanced from Zero to Kaname to me and back. Zero looked back at Yuki, and stepped away from me.

I tried not to gasp for air too loudly, or to lurch forward, but it was hard. My weak knees nearly brought me to the ground. My brain screamed. My hand clutched my head. I trembled.

"Are you alright?" Kaname asked. His hand was now on my shoulder. "It is not just your chest that is hurting you now," he realized.

I smiled. "I have improved on my control."

Kaname smiled back, relieved.

"Tell me what the hell you are talking about, Kuran." Zero demanded.

Kaname sighed, not taking his eyes from me. "How much longer?"

"Uh . . ." My connection wavered, but was recovered and became less blurry. "Forty-eight seconds."

"There is more to the vampyre world than even you realize, Zero. There are murders. Amara's and my parents were murdered. It is very complicated. Now the senate wants her executed. But we are trying to make them understand the justice in her actions. Now, the senate will be here in mere seconds – not long enough for you and Yuki to run away. However, I want you to guard Yuki with your very life. I do not know what will happen, but the less you two are involved the better."

Kaname's eyes now lingered on Yuki sadly. "Yuki, it will not be too much longer." he told her softly.

Yuki looked a little scared, but for the most part she looked rather happy. Her relief that I was not a threat to her was rapturous.

I put a hand on my brother's arm to steady myself. I took a deep breath.

Something possessed me to smile reassuringly at Mike, though I had not looked at him before the gesture. He took a step toward me, and took my hand in both of his.

"You know what will happen?"

"For the most part," I allowed.

"Will it be drawn out or short?" I think Mike chose that question out of many.

I sighed and closed my eyes. "D . . . tr . . . ah . . ." I choked, unable to speak. My eyelids snapped open and my watering eyes glared meaningfully into Mike's.

Mike nodded. "I got it. Don't hurt yourself."

I sucked in air, shaking my head. "You should know. It is not fair to you. Nothing is . . ."

"Are you all right?" Kaname turned to me suddenly.

"Yeah, I just – whoa!" I gasped.

Mike's eyes flung wide. His hazel eyes scanned the trees. "They are here," he told Yuki, Zero, and Kaname in Japanese. Unable to see anything, he looked back down at me.

I swiped a tear from my eye and took a deep breath, my head spinning. I stood straighter. "Yuki, Mike: stand behind Kaname and I. Zero, do the same but do not forget to shield them," I whispered rapidly. When Mike did not move, I pulled him behind me and made him stand beside the tree I had been pinned to.

Yuki scrambled to get next to him. Zero, incredulous, followed Yuki and stood behind them so that when we were surrounded they would be guarded on all sides from the vampyres.

I wondered briefly whether it would be the senate or their assassins that had come for me, and then I realized that it was Mike's thought – I already knew.

Mike took deep breaths. I stopped breathing. Kaname looked angry. I looked brave and powerful. Zero looked confused, but rough and ready. Yuki was confused, but curious. Mike looked like he would pounce on (or away from) the next thing to move.

We could not see the vampyres surrounding us, but we knew we were there. It was just the five of us; most of us clueless as to what was going on and only three of us actually doing more than just being there. The five of us and the tree that blocked one whole side of Mike from the vampyres. If Zero were to guard Yuki, he would also be guarding Mike. I was guarding Mike. Kaname would fight almost as hard for Mike as he would for Yuki. Unwillingly, we all relied on one another with our very lives.

The clothes which I wore had never made me feel inadequate so much.

I had never loved a tree so much.

Never had I dreaded fate so much.

Mike had never been so caring so much at once.

I was still feeling the reverberations of the clock dinging. Truly, it was one that had been set many years ago and whose hands I had been hearing almost my whole life.

Now I would be a big girl.

No, I would continue where I left off being a big girl.

I would set things right.

If fate would let me.

* * *

I have to thank Princesa de la Luna and EmeraldGreen4Life (a. k. a. Alexa) for consistantly reviewing every chapter almost as soon as they are posted. They are the best!! Alexa has already told me what she wants to happen, so to everyone else: it's time to step up! Her suggestion will be seen shortly. How about yours? Tell me in a review or it won't be!!!!!!!


	12. My Confrontation

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Twelve_

My Confrontation

There was a shrill sound, like a bullet whistling through the trees. Then there were many. Then vampyres started surrounding us, some of them dropping out of trees. Many of the assassins were shocked. Many were mad. Many were terrified. Many were excited. All were as stone-faced as they possibly could.

I waited for that face, for those eyes, inside a body that was begging to break down and run. I stood bravely as the vampyres encircled us rather swiftly. Some even stayed in the trees to block all exits. They watched me carefully. I showed nothing but (because it was inevitable) a little wonder.

I was in wonder because I would be seeing things today that I had feared all my life, and I somehow wanted to. How had they changed? Would I be as big as them? Would I now be as strong as them? Would it be dreamlike, or like seeing anything else, only that they came with memories? When would they arrive? Which ones would arrive?

I probably knew, but was too focused on the vampyres before me to remember the prophesy.

"It is quite a shame about Botan. He was a horribly intelligent young man."

The vampyres I was watching parted and allowed through two men. The older of the two had been the speaker.

My heart stuttered.

"You were, at one time, friends with him, correct?" the man cocked his head.

"Yes. I had hoped we would always be friends, but things do not work out the way that we plan."

"That is true. That is true." the man's mouth slowly pulled into a smile. "How was America?"

"It is a wonderful place, but of course, Japan is more beautiful to me. At least, this part of it." I cracked a smile.

"Amara Kuran. Do you still go by that?"

"Yes, I do. I suppose you are now senator?"

His eyes got darker. "I am. A very successful one, actually."

"I do not doubt it." I forced out a polite smile.

He took a few steps forward. "You have caused many people great displeasure, Amara. The senate has been hunting you for a long time. You have been running."

"Not running. I was simply staying at a distance." I corrected him calmly. I had not been running. I had been _waiting._

"Hmm. You have been avoiding trial. Because of this, your sentence has become nonnegotiable. Your choices have not been wise."

I gave no comment, though he looked like he expected one.

"So I suppose you are aware of my purpose for being here. Are you also aware of what will happen if you do not comply?"

"I am perfectly aware and I assure you, now that I am old enough I will handle this situation like an adult."

"You should not be able to control when you face the consequences of your wrong doings, Amara."

I was silently fuming on the inside while the outside showed nothing. Oh, I could have killed him right then. He thought he had the nerve. I wanted to show him who was the one with nerve.

He grinned. "Amara, this is Shiki-sama." he said quietly, so that that the assassins could not hear. They stood within a twenty-foot radius of me. It was not their job to listen in, anyway.

I cocked my head ever-so-slightly, examining the teenage boy standing emotionlessly behind his great-uncle. He did resemble Shiki. Perhaps he was Senri, Shiki's son . . . yes, that was who he was. . . . But . . .

It was Shiki. One eye was a different color from the other, and I remembered both of Senri's eyes being light blue, despite the darkness behind them. Shiki had taken over his son's body.

"In his son's body." I observed, trying to be undeterred, but I felt immense pity for Senri. He was such a kind boy.

"That is correct. And what a beautiful body. My son has done well." Shiki said in his son's voice. Senri was very patient. Shiki made him sound impatient, greedy, and selfish.

I smiled. "I am sure Kaname would know all about that."

Shiki nodded. "Kaname Kuran-sama is a great teacher. It is much too bad that you ruined the family line."

I felt Kaname's anger flair, and the shock of his intensity suppressed my own reaction. I sighed. "I am truly sorry you feel that way, Shiki-sama. So, tell me: what is the date of my trial?"

"The senate has freed up the entire day." Senri's great-uncle told me.

"Will you be escorting me?"

"Of course."

"Well, Shiki-sama," I bowed. "Respectively, I am afraid that I cannot present myself dressed as I am. Would you mind if I changed into something more formal, first?"

"Of course. You must respect the senate."

I smiled. "Alright. May I take my brother and my friends to vouch for me?"

"Friends? You have been here two days –" Shiki's uncle-in-law began, but Shiki cut him off by raising his hand.

"Please?" I asked after Shiki did not proceed to speak. I met Senri's great-uncle's eye steadily, conveying an order.

"Sure. There is room in the car." he complied.

I smiled triumphantly. "Thank you, Sir. I will be seeing you shortly."

Shiki glared at me furiously as his uncle-in-law bowed to me, excusing me. I took Mike's elbow and swiftly guided him through the circle of assassins (who parted for us) and to the Sun Dorms. Kaname ushered Yuki, and Zero came by his own will. We scrambled through the doors and ran up the steps to my room.

Mike turned to me very suddenly and took both of my elbows in his hands; I held his arms, too. His hazel eyes were large . . . and brilliant. I prompted him for an explanation with my eyes. It was hardly necessary.

"Oh my gosh, I thought it would be so much worse than it was! Still, it was so scary – I was really worried they would send the troops to attack you, especially when you got all 'pureblood' on them. Who were they? What was said? God, I was terrified . . ."

I smiled, relieved that his worries could be soothed. I shook my head slowly. "Ah, Michelangelo. It was as bad as you thought. The underlying fight was much harder than the one you heard in Japanese. Shiki wanted the assassins oblivious to what was really going on. Still, though, it did go better than I thought it would. I am grateful that Shiki did not try to overpower me when I manipulated Senri's great-uncle to let you come along with me to the senate building."

"Why would Shiki allow me to go with her? Wouldn't I make it easier for her?" Mike asked Kaname.

"He wants to use you to destroy her. It is actually easier than you think." Kaname was quiet for my sake.

My heart squeezed and I looked away from Mike, gritting my teeth. I winced.

I had failed to fully protect Mike.

"Amara, he would have been hunted down, anyway. Shiki knew that he was your weakspot the moment he saw him. You actually protected him again, the way you did when we came to America." Kaname said. "You saved Yuki, too."

"What is going on?" Yuki whispered in a very tiny voice. Zero stood beside her, his fists clenched, his face scared.

I sighed, dropping my head. "Kaname, is now the time?"

Kaname nodded. I heard the friction and knew what he had done, though my eyes were closed.

I took a deep breath. "Alright. Everyone deserves to know."

"To know what?" a voice asked grimly from the doorway.

My head snapped up.

* * *

In the next chapters, you will be exposed the bloody past of the Kuran siblings. Trust me, you will not want to miss this. Get your friends and hurry to the computer the moment it is posted -- and be ready. You think you know this story? You've got another thing coming. I can't wait to hear about your reactions. . . .


	13. My Story

Hello. I'm very sorry it took me so long to update. I would have updated Wednesday but things have just started coming up and I have not been able to catch a break! So here is your overdue Chapter Thirteen. Enjoy!

* * *

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Thirteen_

My Story

"Ichijo!" I gasped.

He smiled, and slowly his eyes got wider and wider. "Amara Kuran. Is it really you?"

"Oh my, Ichijo! It has been an eternity! I am so happy to see you! You are attending Cross Academy?" I dropped Mike's arms and walked to my old friend.

"I am Vice President." he said proudly.

"Well, _I'm _getting impatient. What the hell is going on around here?" barked a man who looked similar to the short one with the grim voice.

Ichijo cleared his throat awkwardly. I met the eye of the rude one.

"And you are?" I demanded.

"Akatuaki Kain, at your service. This is my cousin, Aido Hanabusa. That is Ruka Sounen and that's Seiren. We are friends of Kaname-sama. Who are you?"

I noticed right away that Ruka was a very shy girl and was in love with my brother and that Hanabusa was boastful and in love with my brother. Akatuaki was usually apathetic. Seiren was Kaname's bodyguard. It was a good group.

"I am Amara Kuran. It is nice to meet friends of my brother's." I extended my hand to Akatuaki.

Akatuaki simply gawked.

I smirked. "Hmm. Would you all like to come in?"

"We saw the incident with Senri and his great-uncle and the assassins – we overheard a bit of it, too – and now we are really confused," Hanabusa said. I realized that he wanted to be called Aido and that the nickname that he loved was "Idol". His cousin, he thought, was called "Wild" by human females because he looked so calm . . . like he was about to do something.

I smiled. "I was just getting ready to explain." I looked quickly at my brother as I guided the vampyre teens into the room to sit on the beds. He actually seemed pleased.

No. It was more than that. Kaname was happy that his friends had come to our rescue knowing very little and without being asked. Before, had he ever considered anyone a friend?

"I had no idea Kaname-sama had a sister." Ruka remarked.

Seiren seemed grim and unsurprised. Ichijo was feeling self-conscious. Zero was leaning against the wall, tense.

"I came back from America when one of the senate's assassins finally found me. Kaien was willing to help me if I attended the day school, so I did. Today the senate caught up with me and summoned me to my trial." I told them.

"What did you do?" Ruka asked.

"It is a long story." I no longer felt comfortable telling my past.

"Amara, everyone is here for you. They will be on our side." Kaname assured me.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. "I do not trust them yet."

"You are going to have to. They are loyal, but it will be hard for them to help us if they do not understand everything that is happening and why."

"How about this: Amara will tell me in the hallway in English while you tell your friends in Japanese, since I cannot understand it very well, anyway." Mike said slowly.

I stared at him. Kaname did too, then nodded. Mike took my hands and led me out of the room.

***

Amara's story as told by Kaname to his friends:

_It was fourteen years ago. Mother was screaming awfully loud. Father could do nothing but hold her hand. The doctor worked hurriedly, his eyes wide. He was breathing hard, too. It was hot in my parents' bedroom, though I was unsure how, being that it was winter. The doctor, Father, and I were dressed in heavy suits. We were forced to burn large candles and oil lamps, because it was nighttime and the mansion was without electricity._

_It had gone out the moment the sun went down. _

_Mother's eyes were wide. She was strong, but she was a timid woman. However, this amount of fear had never showed up on her face before. Not even when I was really little, and had hidden in the closet thinking I had convinced my Father to play hide-and-go-seek with me. She had on her nightgown, but it did not make a difference. She was the pinkest I have ever seen a vampyre. She was not mad with pain but it seemed like any minute she would be. _

_"Doctor . . . how much longer?" she panted. _

_"It is really hard to tell." he admitted, perplexed. _

_"It is not supposed to be like this – what on Earth could be wrong?" Father asked, his intense eyes not intending to scare the doctor but nevertheless glowing red. _

_"It has been _four hours_," Mother groaned. "It started the _second_ the sun set!"_

_The doctor's eyebrows were nearly touching at this point. Though he was young, it occurred to me that looked ancient. He was supposed to be the best vampyre doctor in the world. It really scared me that someone with his gift of intelligence had no idea what he was doing anymore. _

_I had to wonder if my mother was dying. Was I seeing her for the last time, her screaming in agony, her entrancing face turned ugly by pained and terrified expressions?_

_Mother began to cry between her screams, though not with pain or fear. She was worried for her baby. _

_Father kissed her tenderly. His face lingered close to hers and he whispered comforting things to her. _

_The nurses all stood around the bed doing nothing but trying to give the Kurans privacy. A few stared at the walls silently. A few examined paintings. A few simply gazed off in space. They could not even look at one another. _

_I hiccupped a little, about to cry. _

_Father turned to me and gave me as much of a reassuring face as he could. Then he signaled a nurse. "Please, take my son out of the room. Kaien and Cho can care for him." _

_The nurse nodded and took my hand. Her face cold and hard, she led me from the room. I stared at the scene behind me, unwilling to leave. But I knew that when my Father asked me to do something, it was always best to comply. She closed the door behind us and led me to the parlor, where an assortment of friends waited for word of a healthy Kuran baby. _

_Everyone leapt to their feet at our entrance. At hearing my mother continue to scream, they became confused. _

_"Is everything all right?" Ichio asked shakily. _

_The nurse remained stone-faced. "She is in a lot of pain, and there are no signs of progress." she said, then left. _

_I turned to the crowd. It consisted of the Ichijos, the Kains, the Aidos, and Kaien and Cho Cross. (No children had come.) All of them could be trusted. I walked to Kaien and let my head droop. _

_"I am worried about Mother. Father does not seem hopeful that she will make it through." I murmured. _

_Kaien knelt to my size and took my chin. "Kaname, do not worry. A pureblood has never died in childbirth. It is impossible." Then he laughed. "Your younger sibling simply does not know what to do. Your mother will be fine . . . I mean, besides having a rowdy baby." _

_It was true, if only the first part. I wiped my tears. Cho knelt and hugged me, smiling._

_"Would you like to take a walk, Kaname?" she asked. _

_I thought for a second, then nodded. She took my hand and we walked together outside in the gardens. Kaien followed behind us. All was silent except for the night and an occasional wale from the house. The stars above outshone diamonds and the full moon was perfectly white – not yellow or even crème, but white – and very big. It seemed to rejoice. _

_Time passed in a very strange manner. What seemed like forever was only a minute._

_"Kaname," Cho said finally, "would you like to make a bouquet for your mother?" _

_I loved the idea. She very much deserved to have beautiful, sweet-smelling things. I was about to pick a beautiful blue flower, then paused and turned to Kaien and Cho, who were now holding hands and watching me. _

_"I do not know whether the baby will be a boy or a girl." I told them. _

_Kaien smiled wider."Just pick whatever flowers she likes the most. Your mother will love it." _

_I thought long and hard about which ones she liked the most until I found some beautiful white tulips and some magnificent purple daisy-looking flowers. In the lighting, I also found some flowers that seemed to be black. I had no clue that they actually were black – black beauties, to be precise. The way that they simmered in the moonlight was incredible. I arranged the bouquet and held it very gently, marveling at it. _

_Cho and Kaien were looking at the house, I noticed, and I frowned. I thought hard about what had grabbed their attention, then I realized: there was no screaming. _

_My heart dropped into my stomach. _

_Kaien turned very slowly to me. _

_Just then, Ichio's son peeked his head out of the front door. "Kaname! Come inside, quickly!" _

_I almost dropped the flowers as I sped back through the garden. Cho and Kaien were in pursuit. We raced up the steps, Ichio and his son running behind us. Without knocking, I flung open the door (as well as a small child could) and walked into my parents' bedroom. I froze._

_On the opposite side of the room from the bed, the doctor was slouched in a chair and nurses were tending to him like relentlessly. They fanned him and gave him water and placed moist rags on his forehead. The nurses were talking to him, calling his name. His head was flopping around. I only thought about this for a moment before turning my attention to the silent side of the room. _

_My Father was bent over my mother, blocking my view. I walked further into the room after seeing that a blanket made my innocent eyes safe from indecency. _

_Mother's lips were grey and slightly parted. Her skin was so pale it was almost see-through. Her hair was in a long, fuzzy braid. Her eyes were closed, and her head was rolled to the side. In her limp arms was a bundle, which father was touching gently. _

_At my arrival, Father smiled at me and nodded for me to climb onto the bed. I did so awkwardly because of the height of it. On my hands and knees I approached my mother and the bundle. I felt a wave of relief so intense that I could have sobbed when I saw that my mother was breathing. _

_"Kaname, this is your sister: Amara Kuran." Father said, loud enough that the men and woman standing in the doorway could hear. He pulled the blanket away from the baby's face so that I could see. _

_What was lying in my mother's arms was surely a doll. She had a full head of white hair, perfect black eyelashes, beautiful pink lips, and snow-white skin. I marveled. This was a baby, but she looked nothing like a baby. _

_To test it out, I whispered her name. Perhaps, I thought, I would find out whether or not she was really a baby. "Amara?" _

_To my immense surprise, her eyes opened very slowly. Her eyes . . . were indescribably beautiful, with light blue and purple and silver. She focused on me, and her face became content. I swear to you: I saw her smile. Then she drifted back to sleep. _

_"She is special, is she not?" Mother whispered. I looked over at her to see that she was smiling at me the same smile I just saw on my baby sister's face. "Right after she was born, she started glowing white and she made the most beautiful, squeak-like noise you can imagine. The doctor passed right out, but she started floating in mid-air and did not fall. The light did not hurt, Kaname, but it made everything white. Then, it was over, and she floated back down into your father's arms. She sighed, and after looking at him, then me, she went to sleep." _

_"Your sister is one gifted child." Father said. _

_Bewildered, I looked back down at the baby. Then I remembered the bouquet in my hand and gave it to Mother. She smiled and thanked me. I cocked my head when I saw that the white, black, and purple were the perfect flowers for the occasion. _

_Word spread very quickly about the special new Kuran. People of all classes came to see her for themselves. Ichio was in love with her. The grumpy and cross old man softened tremendously at the sight of her. The entire senate came to see her at his request, and they announced a soiree in her honor. It was held in our mansion, but they were just as much hosts as my parents. _

_She attended the soiree in my mother's arms, dressed in a light blue silk dress with a lace bow sash and trim. She wore a matching bow around her head. Her booties were even made of silver silk. She was so beautiful. Many women asked to hold her, and they passed her around without problem. Amara was like a princess and they were her subjects. They all tried to coddle and gush over her, but when they met her calm eyes they treated her like royalty. _

_I was there, too, talking with people. Many men talked to me, whereas it had always been casual greetings in the past. When Amara started glaring at particular women, I would ask to hold her, myself. Then I would give her to Mother after a short while to start a different line. My mother was not used to the attention her daughter brought to her. _

_My father hovered as closely to the baby as I did. He always had his eye on her. He looked at me with as proud eyes as he did at her. The night went very well until midnight._

_Shizuka Hio entered the room and people nodded or bowed their respects, but resentfully. She was not well-liked, as you know. She was not even dressed very well. She walked right up to my mother (who was holding Amara at the time) and smiled. _

_"May I hold the baby?" she asked. _

_"Of course, Hio-sama." my mother said, and handed Amara to her. _

_Then, something really weird happened. Amara looked Shizuka right in the eye and screamed unlike a baby has ever screamed before. She began glowing white again, and her purple eyes flashed. The scream lasted for what seemed like forever. Mother held Amara to her, but she continued to glare at Shizuka with the intense fury of a thousand men. Her scream was like a battle cry. Meanwhile, Shizuka was crumpling like she was in pain and holding her ears. She had a huge wince on her face that did not leave. _

_When her eyes batted open and two red-tinged tears rolled down her face, panic broke out. Father yanked Amara into his arms and ran out of the room. Mother knelt to tend to Shikuza, who gradually felt better. She and other women laid her on a couch on one of the walls and gave her cool rags for her head. They cleaned up the bloody tears and whispered to her. Her hearing had been restored fully, and she felt like she was in the ocean as compared to being in the middle of an atomic bomb explosion. _

_In the nursery Amara had stopped screaming, but was still glaring and breathing hard. She was angry with Father for taking her away. She grunted and huffed and pouted. _

_"Amara, you cannot hurt people like you hurt that woman today. I know that you can probably sense that she is dangerous, but you have to be polite, anyway." Father was surprised about her ability, of course, but he would handle it professionally nevertheless. _

_At this point, I had abandoned mother and ran after my sister and Father. I walked into the room to see Amara sitting propped up between Father's large hands on her desk of drawers, pouting and looking at me. She then pointed downward, somehow at the exact spot that Shikuza was laying. _

_"Murder." she said, very clearly, looking at Father. _

_My father and I gawked at her, and exchanged glances. She had probably never even heard that word before. _

_"Kill." she told me very deliberately. "Kill murder . . . er. Kill." _

_Downstairs, rumors were starting. Amara, everyone knew, was incredibly strong. By nature, she would rule. But now she was also dangerous. People did not come over anymore, except for our friends. _

_Then there was one other visitor. Shiki._

_Mother, Father, Shiki and his wife were all talking in the parlor. After drinking glasses of blood, they had a servant bring in Amara and me to introduce ourselves to Shiki. I had insisted on carrying the little girl, though she was chubby and probably weighed just thirty pounds less than me. I noticed on the trip down the stairs that she looked really depressed, and was deep in thought. When I gave her to Shiki's wife to hold, she glared at Shiki. _

_When his wife handed Amara to him, all of the fake gushing in the world (he was talking about her beauty and her power) did not keep Amara from softening up. She wiggled in his arms until she was in standing position, and she pushed him away until her arms were fully extended. _

_"Oh, dear. Do not worry. She is obviously very curious about you." my mother laughed, though it was clear on everyone's faces that we were worried. _

_Amara started glowing and everyone was too bemused and in awe to move. The wind picked up inside the house, whipping everyone like a tornado. "Murder!" Amara screamed at him. "Murder!" Where she was touching him, he turned really red and began to smoke. _

_I lurched forward and took her into my arms, ignoring the burn. I raced up the steps to her room. The wind was still whipping madly, but now my sister was sobbing. It was the first time she had cried, and she was sobbing. _

_I sat in a rocking chair and rocked her back and forth, telling her things. "It is okay. He is not what you think. There are lots of creepy vampyres out there, but not all of them mean bad. Like Ichio – he really creeps me out, but he is a nice man. Right?" _

_Amara shook her head. "Bad! Bad peeple! Bad, horrible _peeple!"_ she sobbed. _

_I took a deep breath. "I know. It is a rough world we live in. More people are out to get us than we even know. But we must persevere and show no tarnish. We are the Kurans, and we have to be strong. We have to lead. Got it? Things will be okay if we make them okay." I told her. _

_I swear she understood me, and the wind died down. Then her lower lip began to quiver and she squeezed her eyes shut. The three-month-old buried her face in my stomach and sobbed brokenly. I rocked her all night. _

_Time passed without incident, then. Amara grew as fast as – if not faster than – a human. She did not forget to glare at people she did not approve of, but she did not show her wrath again, no matter what. Neither Shiki nor Hio came anywhere near us again, though, and servants started filing out of the door. Some people, however, got closer to us. Amara grew to really like the aristocrat named Botan, and Ichijo became the person I could lay my trusts in. There were very few friends, though. It was not even weird that we had vampyre hunter visitors, such as Yuki's parents. (They never brought you, Yuki.) The parents of children my age did not bother telling them about Amara, because of personal reasons. I did not understand then._

_I suppose they feared Amara. _

_There were a few times when curious families looking for power visited Amara, but she would clutch Mother and would not be held by them. There were fellow purebloods who introduced their children to her, but Amara only stared at them. She did not speak to people she did not know. She was not shy; she just did not talk to strangers. She wanted to get to know them better before she said something. _

_Other than that, she continued to overwhelm her parents with her abilities. She was horribly calm and caring. She warned us when someone was going to enter a room and told Mother about women who would look funny at Father that night, before it happened. It was so natural to her to know everything past, present, and future. She could read minds, too, and often responded to things that we thought. It was obvious that that was how she learned how to speak: she combed through our vocabularies to find what she wanted to say and how to say it. _

_When we were together, Mother, Father, Amara and I had lots of fun. Amara loved the purple, white, and black flowers in the garden. Cho and Kaien visited often, the happy couple that they were. Amara loved them like a second set of parents. I loved them, as well. Seeing all of the love around me really affected me. _

_But then it became obvious to me that there was something major wrong. Something was horribly bad. Amara got quiet, and I found my parents talking seriously before bed. My parents had touched on the subject a few times before, but now the conversation was longer and more emotional and much more frequent. Every night. _

_One night I was standing at their door and I heard her little two-year-old feet lightly padding down the hall toward me. I turned to her, afraid she would make noise and alert our parents to my eavesdropping. She only took my hand and smiled at me. Bewildered, I allowed her to lead me to her room. She and I played dolls like we had before she had gotten quiet. _

_A few weeks later I walked into the bedroom and approached my parents. "I want to know what is going on." I told them. _

_Mother was near tears. "Your sister is so powerful that she considered a threat amongst aristocrats. Because they are the majority of the senate, we fear the worst." _

_I looked at my father, then again at Mother. "Shiki . . ."_

_Father nodded. "Shiki has wanted to be the president of vampyres for a long time. Your sister has greatly upset him."_

_I was silent, for I understood Shiki's power and his sick level of monstrosity. I had heard much about him, and had seen him for myself. I understood very well that Shiki was able to act. As radical as he was, his act could be anything. The father of Senri is a pureblood._

_I felt the familiar, strong presence and turned to face my sister, who was standing in the doorway, smiling. "Will you play with me, Brother?" _

_I regarded my parents, then went with my sister to her room where we played house with her dolls. _

_So, my parents were called to the senate. Usually they did not care about matters that went on there, but this one was special and their votes were necessary. _

_Shiki had finally convinced the senate that Amara was dangerous and the senate was meeting to discuss what should be done about her. They sought to gather all of the information that they could to make her seem as evil as possible. Shikuza did not show up, which made them unhappy. My parents were very good in the senate, and were very convincing. Because of them, Ichio, and our other friends and fellow pacifists when it came to the relationship between humans and vampyres, the meeting lasted for weeks. My parents returned to the mansion drained and stressed every day, only to return the next night. _

_My sister asked to play with Takuma Ichijo. I was a little happy about that, myself. Our parents asked Cho to go with us to their mansion while they went to the senate building, and she agreed. So she accompanied us and we played with him for an hour, then stopped. Ichijo and I talked, but Amara was very distant. Gradually, she went from happy to worried. She paced and stared out of the window. Her eyes got wider and wider. _

_Then she gasped and started screaming. _

_I ran to her and threw my arms around her, but she did not stop screaming. "What is the matter?" I asked frantically, but she was so shaken she only stared into my eyes, her face like she had just seen a ghost. _

_"Mother and Father. I want to go home!" she said quickly. _

_"Are you homesick?" Ichijo asked. _

_Amara turned to him and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am homesick." she took my face in her tiny, dainty hands. "Kaname, take me home. We have to go home." _

_It was her first time at someone's house without our parents – other than Kaien and Cho's home at Cross Academy. Usually she was pretty adventurous, but our parents were always nearby. Plus, I was worried about them, too, as sickly as they seemed when they got home from the senate. So I picked her up and thanked Ichijo, and told him I was sorry we were leaving so soon. We walked down the steps to find Cho talking with my comrade's mother. Cho was a little alarmed, but complied. _

_On the ride home, Amara stared out of the window at the full moon, never moving. It made her even more beautiful._

_We pulled up and the driver let us out of the limo. _

_She turned to me, smiling, and then spun around and raced for the house. "Split up! The first one to find Mother and Father wins!" _

_Cho turned to me. "Are they supposed to get home early today?" _

_I did not know, but I knew not to question Amara. I smiled at her. "I will search the West Wing." _

_"I will search the North." She smiled back playfully. We both took off. _

_My sister was long-gone when we flew into the house. I ran up the steps and flung open every door in sight. I knew that there were rooms they would almost certainly not be in, but I searched them anyway in the name of good fun. I was smiling, thinking every now and then that I was going to come across Amara behind one of the doors, but I did not. I did run into Cho on the balcony. She was grinning, too. _

_But then a scream broke through the night. It was one I had not heard in years. _


	14. My Crime

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Fourteen_

My Crime

Amara's story as told by Kaname to his friends (continued):

_Cho and I exchanged glances briefly, then broke, speeding toward the East Wing. I remember cursing having such a huge house. My heart beat so hard that night that it hurt. _

_Amara had purposely sent Cho and me to the opposite side of the house from where she was. She had manipulated our minds. Then she had sped to exactly which door she knew she needed to enter. _

_She had not realized fully what she was feeling until she saw inside the library. Then it clicked, and she understood. _

_The floor was covered with blood. Father was lying on the marble, too weak to move. His body was strewn in an unnatural way. Blood was running from his mouth. There was a huge hole in his chest. Mother's head had fallen back. Shiki held her limp body in one arm. She whimpered as he laughed at them. A deep cut let blood escape from her stomach. Both of her legs were broken, bent in strange ways. With Shiki's other arm, he held my mother's wrist to his mouth and drank her blood. _

_Mother's head rolled to the side and she saw Amara. With her eyes she pleaded for her daughter to run. At the same moment, Father spotted her and his eyes became large and fearful. _

_"You are such a beautiful pureblood." Shiki crooned. He let Mother's wrist fall. With his now-free hand, he stroked her hair until he held her head in his hand. He jerked it downward. _

_Amara stopped breathing. _

_Shiki howled with laughter and let her drop to the floor. My father glared at him with the eyes of a mad man. Shiki turned to him, and kicked him in the face. Father's head flew back but he survived. He groaned. "Monster," he whispered. _

_Shiki grinned. "Better a monster than a fool such as yourself." With that, Shiki bent and slashed Father's throat. _

_Amara whimpered, but made no vocal sound. She took two steps into the room. _

_Shiki's head snapped around to see where the pitiful, heart-shattering sound had come from. He gasped, and swiftly turned to face her fully. _

_Amara shook her head. "No." she breathed. _

_Shiki was silent. His plan had not included this. _

_The little girl's breaths came in quick, hyperventilating pants. She made a small, squeaky sound with each exhale. Tears sprang into her eyes. Her fists clenched. "No." she shook her head. "No!" Then Amara's angry, anguished eyes became deadly. She looked Shiki dead in the eye and took a deep breath. "_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

_The scream shattered all of the glass in the East Wing. It lasted for what seemed like forever. It was more than the battle cry she had given him before, though: with it, she excreted far more power than that time. _

_Wind whipped around, obliterating the already-damaged furniture and books. It did not touch our parents. Amara was still screaming when Cho and I skidded to a stop in the doorway. She had not taken a breath. Cho and I were too awestruck to cover our ears. _

_The scene before us was both incredible and horrible. I had never and never will again see a face that filled with hate . . . nor one filled with as much pain. My sister had turned from an angel to a devil. What before her had ever looked so demonic? And what before Shiki had ever been in as much pain as he was in?_

_He was both imploding and exploding. He was both frostbitten and burning. His muscles constricted and his bones grew. His flesh ripped apart and dripped from his body. The liquid inside of him was squeezed out through all available holes. He was screaming like a drowning maniac. He was choking on his blood; Amara left his lungs intact. His hair was lifting itself out by its roots. His eyes were pushing themselves out. His joints unhinged themselves. His blood vessels were protruding from his skin in places. His nerves tore through his skin. _

_I gaped at it. Somehow . . . it was beautiful. Then I noticed my parents. _

_Amara was taking revenge? My little sister, killing for our parents' deaths? I could not bare it. _

_My feet carried me forward and dumped me on the bloody marble behind my little sister before I could stop myself. I hugged her tight. She screamed until she was reduced to sobs, and slumped into my embrace. I had closed my eyes until then. When I opened them, I saw that Shiki was now a jumbled glob of unrecognizable red. Small purple flames danced contentedly on his flesh._

_A stolen vampyre gun lay beside him._

_Amara turned to me and buried her face in my shoulder. I held her. _

_"Kaname, we must leave, quickly! I have a feeling he will have had assassins waiting for backup." Cho said breathlessly._

_I blinked hard to squeeze the tears from my eyes, looking at my parents for the last time. I had loved them more than one can imagine. They were different from other vampyres. Now they were gone. _

_I took their daughter into my arms and Cho and I ran from the mansion. We caught up with the driver and the limo in the garage. Quickly we re-boarded._

_"To Kaien, as fast as you can! Our lives are at stake! Even yours!" Cho yelled. _

_The man responded well to the danger to his life, and we arrived at Cross Academy shortly. I was still holding on to Amara when we ran to him. Cho quickly explained what had happened. _

_Kaien was grave. "Cho. You must take them to the train station to ride to the docks. The senate would find out far too quickly if they took a plane. Go with them to China. I will get the vampyre hunters. This has just become war." _

_Cho put on a hard face as, I presumed, she became a vampyre hunter. She nodded. Just as she was about to turn from Kaien, she suddenly flung herself into his arms and kissed him. She stroked his hair. _

_"Kaien, we are going to take care of these kids no matter what. And we will do whatever it takes to bring peace to the world. Even if it is in one action." she said. _

_Kaien smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes. We will also succeed." _

_Cho kissed her husband again, smiling. "I love you, Kaien." _

_"I love you, Cho." Kaien said in a soft, sweet voice. _

_Cho turned to us and ushered us back into the limo and ordered for the driver to go to the nearest train station. The car whipped out of the driveway and sped down the road. We were soon at the terminal and the limo was long gone. _

_Cho had my sister and me by our hands. We were all too antsy to sit down. The train would be arriving in fifteen minutes. Unlike the rest of the people around us, we had no baggage, briefcases, or anything normal except for Cho's pocketbook. Though snow came down steadily, we were not dressed properly. Amara hugged herself to Cho's leg. She looked anxious. So did Cho._

_Amara was silent, but I sensed her breathing quicken. Cho's heart rate sped up. I looked around and saw the darkly dressed men in suits, too. They were assassins. I looked up at Cho. She was braced for action. _

_"What do we do?" I asked, panicked. _

_"Run," Amara whispered, staring with wide eyes up at Cho. "Cho, we have to run!" _

_"There is no way you guys are going to make it onto the train. They are blocking it. We have to wait until they get closer. Then, I will surprise them and you will run."_

_"But, Cho, you are outnumbered." I said. _

_"They are getting closer. Cho, let us back up slowly into that janitor's room," Amara did not take her eyes off of the men as they slowly moved in. _

_"It is most likely locked. Besides, they will probably break down the door."_

_"We cannot abandon you." Amara said lowly. _

_"You will have to. Here," Cho scooped Amara up in one arm. "We are going to make our way to the edge of the circle, closest to the train. Then I will drop Amara – Kaname, be ready to possibly catch her – and I will whip out my vampyre gun. I will shoot the two closest to the train, and you will run. I will then turn and shoot down as many as I can. Run to the front of the train and hide. Hopefully, I will be able to get them all. If I cannot, you have to stay on the train until it arrives at its destination." she told us softly as she walked, appearing to merely be telling us of the wonders of riding on a train to soothe Amara. _

_"No." Amara said defiantly. _

_"Yes." Cho said. She handed Amara to me, and pretended to check her pocketbook. Then, just before the assassins launched, she flung out her hand and took aim at the one to the right. She shot him. Screams erupted from the humans in the station. He jerked, and fell dead. She swiveled left and took down the one there, too. There were eighteen left, and they all were running at us now. _

_"Go!" Cho shouted. _

_I turned to see the assassins, and had to think for some reason about how many seconds it would take each to reach Cho. She shot at them, and took down two more. I backed up slowly toward the bus, too scared to take my eyes off of the scene. Amara clutched me, her jaw hanging open and her eyes wide. _

_Cho shot more rounds off, but none were affective. The vampyres ran at her, swerving. Many had their eyes on my sister and me, completely ignoring the vampyre hunter. When one got close enough, Cho jumped and planted a kick in his chest, sending him flying back onto the floor. Before she could aim her gun, the vampyre in front of her jumped. While flipping over her, he grabbed her head in his hands, twisted it, and snapped it clean off of her body. _

_When he landed, he came straight at Amara and me. Grinning, he tossed Cho's head to the side. _

_I turned to run and suddenly there were three vampyres between the train and us. They surrounded us in an instant. I do not understand why, but I put Amara very slowly on the ground. The vampyres approached until the closest was three feet away. Amara and I were trapped. _

_"What are you going to do to us?" I asked. I was angry because we had done nothing wrong. I would not rather Amara do anything less to the man who had wrongfully murdered our parents. I wanted to do the same thing to anyone as evil as him._

_"Our orders are to destroy the demon child. We are to merely apprehend the pureblood boy. Someone else will be putting you to death after a short trial." one said._

_"You have the option of surrendering. If you fight, we will be forced to kill you both." another was quite smug in his statement. He was the one who had murdered Cho._

_I was completely silent, at the edge of a bridge. Below me, Amara was breathing like she was getting ready to sob again. I met the eyes of every single assassin around us, too shaken to think straight. _

_Amara started to make noise, and I immediately knelt to comfort her. I was about to put my hand on her shoulder to draw her to me, but then I noticed her expression. She looked fierce some and bloodthirsty. (Only I could see that she was forcing herself to be brave.)_

_Amara had never forced herself to use her powers against someone until then. Her emotions had always been its provoker. So naturally the result was not as explosive as what it had been with Shiki. Still, it was ground-shaking. She started out growling, then, instead of screaming, she started singing a single note. Her eyebrows pressed together, her jaw set, her feet spread, her fists clenched, Amara focused hard on the part of her that she could kill with. _

_The men looked scared and confused at first. Then it began to dawn on them that they were in pain. They all slowly crumpled, screaming, as their bodies imploded. Then, Amara's voice hiked an octave and all at once they exploded. _

_We were splattered with blood. _

_Amara was left panting, and fell to her knees. She stared at Cho's dismembered head in disbelief. "I knew. She was in trouble. I . . . Cho . . . and they . . ." _

_I hugged my sister, though this time she did not cry. She stood up and stomped over to the nearest mound of flesh. Her finger flew out in its direction, and it started cracking and sizzling, blackening and smoking. She gritted her teeth, trembling. "They did not know what they were doing. They knew not what right was. They were ignorant. That is sin enough, though. Not wanting to know more. Not searching. Disobeying the voices in their heads."_

_I stood. "Amara, please. Do not . . . I cannot stand to see you this way, with so much hate in your heart." _

_She looked at me very slowly and deliberately. She was angry at me, something that made me shiver. "My brother, I do not hate them. I despise them. I pity them. But I do not hate them. How could I ever hate any soul? Can you not see that I have avenged them, ripping the demons from their bodies? They can be without sin now." she told me._

_I had had enough of everything. In a haze, I walked to a nearby payphone and dialed Kaien. _

_"Kaien, we were ambushed. I am so sorry. Cho fought for us and did not make it." _

_I think there was silence on the other end for an hour. Meanwhile, my sister continued burning the bodies until she was exhausted. Finally, Kaien spoke. His voice cracked. _

_"What happened?" _

_"An assassin running after us jumped into the air just after Cho had kicked another one backward and ripped . . ." _

_"No, no. Kaname, what happened? How is Amara? How did you escape?" _

_"Amara used her gift and made them all explode." For his benefit, I added, "She is really weak now. She had never done it on purpose before." _

_Kaien sighed. "All right. Stay at the terminal. I have a small army of vampyre hunters coming to escort you to China." _

_"Thank you."_

_There was no answer. The connection was cut. I hung up the phone. _

_The hunters took twenty minutes to arrive. Amara fell asleep on the floor in that time. When they got there, fifteen of them, they were in an assortment of vehicles. Amara and I rode in the back of one of them, in the middle of the line. We were driven this way to the docks without incident. If there had been, we would have been safe surrounded by a small army. _

_But at the docks there were fifty assassins waiting. We did not see them until we had disembarked from the cars and were making our way onto the ship. Between the water and the assassins, there was only one way to go: down the narrow dock to the ship. _

_We ran, being led along by two vampyre hunters – a man and a wife. Yuki's parents. While the other vampyre hunters held off the assassins, they got us safely to the boat and pushed us up the steps to the deck. The crew of humans was panicking, but they let us inside the hull to hide. (The ship had seen our money and was glad to take us along, though it was a cargo ship.) Yuki's parents stayed outside, fighting. _

_"What should we do?" one of the panicked sailors asked. _

_"Set sail!" the captain replied. So, the large ship loaded with UPS boxes and two purebloods chugged forward. _

_I ran to the deck to see what was going on with the fight. The vampyre hunters were being slaughtered. Their tiny bodies got smaller and smaller as they fell. _

_Once in China I called Kaien. _

_"They were slaughtered, but they managed to get Amara and me onboard." _

_Kaien was quiet for only a moment this time. "I see." he sighed. _

_Amara, sitting next to me, let her head hang. "He is thinking, 'All of this death for a special little girl'." she whispered to me. _

_"Well, Kaname, I have been thinking about the answer to all of this along with the vampyre hunter council and this is our conclusion: you must come back to the vampyre world because you have no criminal record whatsoever. As the years go on, you will have to be the one to keep the peace. Amara will have to hide in China. You and I will care for her from afar, but we are both needed in Japan. When the time is right, Amara will come back to govern the senate and bring peace."_

_I was silent this time. _

_"Kaname, you cannot tell me that that is not the destiny you sense when you see Amara."_

_I did not respond. _

_"Hmm." _

_Before he could say more, Amara gasped and her eyes flew wide open. _

_"Kaname, you must know something important: I do not think the battle with Shiki is over. His body was removed from the mansion by his uncle-in-law. I think he will be able to regenerate with help. Purebloods are capable of just about anything." _

_Amara stared at me, terror written all over her face. "It will happen again." she said, tears springing into her eyes. "They will find me, and when they do, it will all happen again just as it did this time!"_

_"Kaien . . ." I shook my head. _

_"Kaname, we must do this. It is for more than just the survival of your sister and for you to regain your status. This is for the future." _

_I gazed upon my sister with much sadness, but did what I was told. I took her to an orphanage. _

_"You cannot get adopted." I realized. _

_"I will not. Just as I persuaded your subconscious to take me here, I will persuade all who see me that I am not the child that they want." _

_I gawked for only a moment before I hugged my sister tight. "I will miss you."_

_"Do what you have to do, and do it well." she gave me a small smile. "I am proud of you." _

_I nearly choked up. The ship ride back to Japan broke my heart. When I got back to the dock where the slaughter had taken place, I was a mess. I decided I would walk home, and did not call a taxi. (I could guess that there was no one willing to risk their lives to drive me home that was nearby.) _

_When I got to a meadow near the vampyre hunter council, I noticed one of the assassins scaring a little human girl, a little older than my sister but far weaker and more pitiful. I got furious. I pictured myself ripping the assassin apart and holding the little girl in my arms, and before I knew it he had turned into a Level E. My instincts propelled me forward, and Yuki knows the rest. She had followed her parents out there, and had seen the battle. She must have hidden in their car. It was strange, though, because that was the one Amara and I had ridden in. She might have been in the trunk. Her cleverness and innocence and confusion and love was overwhelming to me. I suppose she climbed out of the trunk and started running home, then got lost in the snow. The pain that she felt made me act without thinking. I erased her memories, amazed because I had never done anything like that before. I remembered Amara, and knew exactly what to do with Yuki. _

* * *

I am dissapointed in the turnout of my last chapter. :( At one point, the traffic spiked to seventy-some whenever I updated; this time it was fifty-some and then today it was hardly any! And to think I was updating sooner than usual to make up for last week! Well, after this chapter, I think you will really be upset if you were off reading something else and not this the last time I updated. :D I really do want you to enjoy this story and be pleased, and I think that the last chapter and this one are ones that Kaname-sama fans will love. To think (those of you who, like me, have only read up to manga six and watched none of the YouTube videos) that I have calculated every part of Kaname's past down to the molecule using every stitch of information from the mangas, missing not a single word! I dedicated myself to making something that Matsuri Hino-sensei would not scoff at. I feel I owe it to her and her fans to provide something worthy of her mangas. I would love it if you would stick with this story. It deserves to be told . . . and appreciated.


	15. My Last Free Moments

There were some questions (Alexa!) and I believe this chapter holds the answers. If there is still confusion out there after reading this, please feel free to ask. :)

* * *

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Fifteen_

My Last Free Moments

"The blanks are easy to fill in. Shiki sent Botan to bring Amara to him, and he played with her mind. She got upset, and when Mike was in danger she snapped and killed Botan, making him paralyzed with her powers and then ripping his heart out. We came back here, and Kaien said that he would help us if she joined the Day Class. Then, in the trees, Shiki and Senri's great uncle brought their assassins and told us about Amara's trial. They are taking that approach because it will look good with the senate and get Shiki what he wants, and plus now he knows Amara is too powerful to be messed with. Shiki is using Senri's body, because his is still not ready."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Aido asked.

"Is that why I recognized that room in Ichijo's mansion? I have been there? Our parents were friends?" Yuki asked, at awe.

Kaname smiled and took her by the hands. "Yes, Yuki. I am sorry my actions have caused you angst. But I do believe you would have suffered if you could remember watching your parents die. I wanted to protect you. That is all I have ever wanted."

A few tears dripped from Yuki's eyes. Kaname pulled her into a hug. Yuki hugged back.

"Kaname, what are we going to do?" Ruka asked gently.

He sighed and loosened his embrace with Yuki, but did not let her go. He would go no further than adjusting himself so that he could see his friends.

"Now, because Amara is a pureblood of age and we have resources, she will replace our parents in the political battle for her own life. It may not be allowed, and if it is not Ichio and our adult friends will vouch for her, as well as myself and the vampyre hunter council. Shiki will fight dirty, but we must also have you all as allies. Even you, Kiryu."

Zero was stunned that Kaname was begging him. His eyes were pleading, and his voice was almost pitiful. Kaname had just realized that Zero did not have to help him in that situation, as he did with Yuki. Zero was surprised that he actually wanted to help.

Zero nodded once. Kaname smiled thankfully.

"I will do anything for you, Kaname-sama. I knew you were special from the moment I met you, and I do not intend on letting you be anything less than I think you are." Aido said.

"We are here for you." Ruka said. "And your sister."

"You two are going to turn things around." Aido said.

"You have to." Kain muttered.

"Kaname-sama? Why do you think Amara-sama is different?" Yuki asked.

Kaname was a little shocked by the soft words the woman in his arms asked, then he realized that he wondered the same. Many times he had wondered. He had no answer but what he gave Yuki: "Amara does not talk about it much, but she says that she is connected to a higher being . . . like Buddha. I think, sometimes, that an error was made when her soul was being created. What else, other than an error, can explain something as close to perfect as Amara? But then sometimes I wonder if, perhaps, she is much more flawed than I realize, and she was made by the higher being more special than the rest of us so that she could bring the purebloods and aristocrats down to Earth." Kaname had never once shared his thoughts about Amara with anyone other than Cho and Kaien. He had thought that it was wrong to discuss it with his parents, and he had not wanted to with anyone until he got to know the Night Class and started seeing Ichijo as not just a buddy but someone whom he could talk to and rely on. Then he could not tell them.

"You have really had it rough." Aido was very upset that his hero had had to undergo so much, practically without protection. That was what he wanted to be for him. "Could you . . . tell us more about your sister's powers?" Aido asked.

Kaname hugged Yuki again as he had before, relaxing. He did so love having her there, where he was able to comfort and protect her, if even for just a moment. "Not now. That is still knowledge that could get you killed."

***

"I stayed in the orphanage until I turned six. Then I ran away and traveled through England as a homeless person. I took up a job when I was nine in France as a painter. I was not a real artist; I painted the Chi of things, which I knew better than my own mind. It just so happened that they looked realistic. Enough so that people lined up very quickly. It was a danger for people to know my name. It was too incredible for humans, and I left for America before word could get out. While there, I wandered around in the mountains of Tennessee for a while (I survived on animals) and explored the big cities, where food was much harder to come by. Again I found work at a Game Stop in Richmond, as well as a Barnes and Noble and a chef in a Japanese – booth, would I say? – all inside the very same mall. I did not spend any money except on clothes and a tent that I set up where no one could find it. In the city, it was much harder to find food. I killed a few dogs and cats, but mostly tried for deer. At that point in time, I was starting to starve. I built up an endurance to blood. When I found myself exhausted with trying so hard, I left and traveled through many counties filled with deer, bear, and even horses and cows until I found Charlottesville. I thought it was perfect; mountains so nearby, but also a city where I could make money. I was only twelve, but I looked sixteen and could pull any age off. As you know, I moved into an apartment near the school and bought an electric scooter. Again I was working at a bookstore, but this one was more out-of-the-way because the Barnes and Noble was not close enough. Something possessed me to settle down and act more normal. My very first night in the apartment, I dreamt that I should call Kaname. I did, and he and I talked for a long time. He shipped me over some blood tablets so that I would not have to starve anymore. For some reason, I began attending school. I kept telling myself that I would stop going, but I continued. I made friends, and before I knew it I could not leave. Then, I began having dreams that my past was coming back to haunt me."

Mike was silent. I was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway from which he leaned on. I felt tired, like I had just ran around the world in an hour, and also weak with relief at finally having told Mike my story. At the same time, though, Mike had not said a word. I felt anxious, because I knew that he now understood. He now had reason to want to back out. And though I knew it was best for him, I did not want him to leave.

I had reason to live because of him. Reason to fight. I wanted justice and peace amongst vampyres and humans, but I could make that stuff possible without actually _living_. Waking up was easy. Dreaming was harder. Dreaming required life. Life that Mike held in his hands.

Then, Mike took a deep breath. "When I first met you, I speculated over the feelings you installed in me. I knew you had to have been more than human, but I was unclear as to how much. Sometimes I pictured you as the President. Then I wondered if you wore a super suit under your clothes. I figured you had to be an alien come to fix the planet, so I thought you must have come from Krypton. So . . . hearing you say these things . . . doesn't really surprise me."

I looked up at him.

"Your shield was never really locked to me." Mike half-smiled. His lip twitched back down. "I am not a part of the big picture, so you don't have to stress over me. I am not a variable in this equation. You can do whatever you want with me and never have to worry about me breaking. I will always be a positive."

I smiled slowly. "I know."

Mike now smiled back. He came to me and wrapped his arms around me, sighing. His cheek he rested on my head. I embraced him, too, getting on my tiptoes so that I could get my arms around his neck. I felt better knowing that he had not changed his mind because of my past. Sometimes I wondered if I should be ashamed of it. Now I did not care. Mike was fine with it.

"I will be the bungee cord." Mike said. "You just focus on climbing."

I laughed, relief bubbling up in my throat. My fingers began to stroke his brown hair. "I sense you are plotting, now that you have new knowledge to add to the puzzle."

"Yes." he grinned proudly.

"Oh, I am so glad to hear that!"

"Come on," Mike pulled back. "We have to go choose something for you to wear that the senate will feel yet more strongly that they have to respect you in. We are not going to take the 'you were a child' approach."

"You are right. We go." I agreed.

Michelangelo and I walked down the hall to my room again, hand-in-hand. Once we had opened the door, Kaname seized us up. At first, he looked prepared to kill. Then he slowly relaxed and smiled. I confirmed his suspicions with a pleased smile. _Things had gone well_.

"Everyone is in." Kaname announced.

"Yes." I said. "I had seen Kain's face in my prophesy. I sensed that there would be a small group of younger supporters, mostly children of the supporters of our parents." I gave everyone a smile. "I cannot express my gratitude to you all and to your parents. Without you, this fight would have been over with long ago."

Kain nodded. "Without the Kurans, we would be lost."

"This path is the only right one." Ruka gave a small grin.

"I am glad you all feel that way." I said, though my inner voice said something different: _It is the just one, not the right one. I do not know that we will be victorious._

Then I noticed Yuki in my brother's arms, and it occurred to me that things must have gone super-humanly well. I grinned to myself.

"Let us see what you have to wear." Mike said in Japanese, opening my closet doors. Kaname also assessed my clothes from where he stood with Yuki.

"You have strange taste." Ichijo noted.

I laughed. "I know."

"I hate to say that this is the only thing in the world I know nothing about. What is this stuff?" Mike turned to me.

I howled with laughter. "Ah, Mike! Some of it is formalwear and some of it is casual." I took out a dress and laid it on the bed where no one was sitting. "This is it. This is what I bought in case you decided to help me and came up with the idea of 'respectful.'"

"No offense, but what makes this particular dress respectful? It is beautiful, but I have never seen a respectful person wear one. I mean, the President and government officials wear tuxes and rich people wear designer labels."

I smiled adoringly. "This is a kimono. It is the formalwear of the pureblood women on very special occasions here. It signifies their age and immortality and stature. Even then, I have not seen anyone other than Shizuka Hio wear one . . . and that was fourteen years ago at my own soiree. I think it is the best choice, and will make the statement that I have not abandoned Japan."

Mike looked just a tad bewildered. "Uh, okay . . . Am I going to have to start calling you 'Amara-sama' now?"

I laughed again. "No. We are close, so it is acceptable for us to refer to one another without honorifics."

"You are only fourteen, yet you act like you have been living forever." Kaname said, half-sarcastically.

I shrugged. I did not want to dive into that topic, so I said nothing.

"It doesn't look like any kimono I have ever seen." Mike muttered, holding it up. "It is terribly beautiful, though."

"Thank you. My personal designer made it for me when she heard that I was back." I said.

"She is very gifted."

"She is. And she is human, you know." I added.

"Cool." Mike said, attempting to be smooth. I chuckled to myself.

"Well, I am going to go put this on." Mike handed me the kimono gently when I said this.

"Amara, are you going to pack for multiple days?" Kaname asked, unfolding one arm from around Yuki to take her hand.

I sighed. "The fight will be a long and tedious one. Still, I will not pack." I announced. "None of my friends are packing, so I will not. In the next days, we will all face things I cannot yet understand or comprehend. I am unsure of the future, and it scares me. But I am not selfish. I do not ask of this of you all for the sake of my own life, but the lives of many, and even of those who are not yet born."

"We are aware of that." Kain smiled challengingly. This whimsical attribute was un-vampyre-like, and it made me smile.

"We simply live for this life-and-death stuff." Aido said. "It follows us vampyres around like loyal dogs."

"I am hoping to change that." I concluded.

Kaname sighed. "Listen, you all look nice but not nice enough for the senate. I understand that you just woke up, but you must all go back to your dorms to dress in formalwear. Mike, you will come with me. How we did not have the foresight to buy you formal clothes is beyond me. We will meet back up in Amara's room."

"Alright. I agree." Ichijo said. "My grandfather would have a stroke if he saw me in the senate building wearing this. I really did just throw on some things." He stood.

"Mike, come here." I said, beckoning him. Mike was a little confused as he followed me to my closet. I smiled at him and took from it a hanger with a bag covering its contents. I handed it to him. "Here. Have Kaname help you put it on. I had seen you in it beforehand, but I did not know it would be so soon."

"Thanks." Mike said shyly.

"Oh! And this too." I handed him a shoebox, blushing.

"Ruka?" I turned to the girl sitting on my roommate's bed next to Kain.

She stood.

"I will need some help getting into this dress. Would you come with me to change in the bathroom?" I made the offer silently with my eyes to Yuki, but gave her a smile that said she should stay where she was with my brother. I saw acknowledgement in her eyes and knew that she had declined. I almost laughed.

Ruka, beautiful and shy, smiled slightly and went to the bathroom door to open it for me. "Certainly."

"Thank you."

She and I walked into the bathroom and did not come out for fifteen minutes. We moved quickly, making sure every detail was seen to. The senate had to know that I respected them enough to dress up. They had to know that I demanded respect by looking like a pureblood female of my stature should. I thought of Shizuka with admiration. I needed more than that from the senate.

"What shoes will you wear?" Ruka asked.

I smiled very slowly. "I had some traditional silver slippers made by my personal designer. Would you go to get them?"

Ruka smiled at the idea. "Where are they?"

"In my closet."

Ruka left the room, closing the door behind her, and searched my closet. Thirty seconds later she returned with a shoe box. "They are beautiful." she said.

"I think so." I took the shoes from the box and put them on my feet. Then I straightened. "Thank you, Ruka. I would not have been able to accomplish this without you. On my own, I doubt I would impress the senate in this way."

"Oh, it is not a problem. You are very welcome. I am glad to help." Ruka said.

I took her hand. "Now. I want Shiki to be surprised to see me, so I am going to make both of us invisible. We are going to scamper over to your dorm and find something beautiful for you to wear. You are not built the same way as I am, and also I have no other formalwear than this, so I am afraid I cannot offer anything from my closet."

"That is fine. Thank you for thinking of me. But, you are going to make us invisible?"

I had not wanted to linger on the subject, but Ruka caught on that it was not every day you saw even Kaname going around invisibly doing things. "Your mind is an open room to me, and so is your Chi. I can do anything to you."

Ruka almost looked like I had reminded her that I was dangerous and powerful, but she shrugged it off. I was really beginning to think I would like her, though her compassion was the only thing that made her different from other aristocrats.

I smiled. "Here we go. Do not be afraid. It is fun."

Ruka nodded. I opened the door and led her through, then out into the hall and down the steps. When we neared windows, I took the color from both of us and masked us with fog. We padded along, making a run for the Moon Dorms.

Once inside, Ruka grinned at me. I could only sense it, not see it. "Am I supposed to feel like my stomach is in my throat?"

"Yes. Is it not just bubbly!"

"Very." she replied.

We hurried to her room and closed the door behind us. Then Ruka opened her fancy closet door. "Hmm. I have not bought new formalwear since the prom."

"You could wear what you wore to the prom."

"I suppose. I do not like wearing that sort of piece more than once." Ruka frowned, holding the dress out.

"I am sure you are gorgeous in it, though. Why not wear it? You would be preventing the world from seeing you in it if you did not."

Ruka shrugged. "The senate . . . will not know that I am wearing a dress again for them?"

I laughed. "They do not look at details _that _closely. Besides, how would they know? None of them came to prom, I do not think."

"You are right. And it is a beautiful dress."

"It fits you well."

Ruka blushed. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. Now, let us put it on you." I said. Like teenage girls preparing for prom we maneuvered the expensive prom dress onto Ruka, being careful as not to rip it. I was often rough with my own clothes, so I took great care. Unlike my kimono, her dress was skin-tight and very delicate.

When we were done and had finished her hair and such, she looked amazing.

"You do a fantastic job with your hair." I complimented.

"Thank you. You know, most girls do not do their own hair."

"I do know. That is why I am so amazed that you get the same results, if not better, than they do. Really, I think hairspray is overrated."

Ruka nodded, giggling. "It defeats the purpose of 'hair.'"

"Exactly." I said. Then I sighed. "You look wonderful. Now it is time to face Shiki . . . and whatever mode of transportation he is going to make me ride in on the way to the senate building."

Ruka smiled sympathetically. "We will not be invisible this time?"

"I am afraid not."

I closed my eyes for a moment, calling my prophesy back. Like watching a movie, I replayed it in my head. I was attentive and paid special attention to the details. Still, I was not revealed anything more. I sighed. Oh how I wished Mike and I could talk for just a moment before we gave ourselves up to the vampiric law.

Ruka put a hand on my shoulder. "You have Mike beside you. That seemed to cheer you up."

I smiled at her, opening my eyes. "It still does. Thanks."

"No problem. Now we will go face the senate."

"You do realize that if things go badly for me, you will suffer, too? You will be persecuted for helping a fugitive."

Ruka slowly frowned. "I know, Amara-sama, but I feel in my heart that this is the only way for me to go."

I smiled. "Alright then. You are the one from my prophesy." I hugged her quite suddenly. "Thank you."

Ruka laughed, confused. "You are welcome. I hope I will do well."

"You will."

As we made our way down the steps, we caught Kaien running up them. "Ah! Oh, Amara-chan! I had a dream that it was happening – yes, I was napping! – and I had a dream . . . I want you to call me as soon as you can."

"Alright. Why do you not simply join us?"

"Because I have to be here. I really just have to be here. If it was not a matter of life and death, I would be with you, but it is and I must stay. So call. Do not forget. Now leave."

"I do not understand, Kaien. What on Earth is happening here?"

"Just go! Shiki is getting angry!"

"How might you know?"

"I know vampyres! Now go!" He ushered me out of the door. "Bye! Good luck!"

"Goodbye . . ." I said.

Ruka and I proceeded to walk to the road where the Night Class could leave school grounds and enter the city. There, a large limo was waiting. I suppose they expected me to act like a lady and not try to escape. I was happy about this development. Normally, Shiki was a brutal man and was actually very sexist.

I am a feminist.

Kaname, Mike, Aido, Kain, and Ichijo were waiting inside the long black car. The assassins guided Ruka in, then me. They took special care with me. It was unnecessary. If I had wanted to escape I would have.

I smiled at Mike. "I knew that would look stunning on you."

He blushed. Though I did not show it, I was just as aware of how close our legs were sitting side-by-side in the limo as he was. Also, other than us, no one spoke in the limo.

"Amara, you are beautiful. You look like a China doll. I feel like I need to wrap you in bubble wrap and stick you in a box with foam peanuts."

I giggled. "A _Japanese _doll."

"Is there a difference?" he joked.

Just then, an assassin slid into the car next to me. "That car formation you were transported in to the train station; this formation is better. It is error proof. You may be in a limousine, but you are a criminal and if you even breathe maliciously I will sound the alarm. I am equipped to kill you myself, if I must." he growled.

He was terrified.

I smiled kindly at him. "Do not worry. I intend to make it to the senate without incident. I plan to act like the pureblood I am: with honor."

"Humph." he grunted skeptically. He was so nervous that he tried to roll his eyes – and failed.

I sighed. That was when I noticed Kaname smiling at me. I grinned shyly.

"Well here we go." Ichijo said and for the first time in his life he was not cheery about it. He let out a stressed sigh. Then he looked at my brother. Kaname's smile fell, regarding what Ichijo was feeling.

_I wonder if Kaname notices that my dress is the same as what I wore to prom. I know Kain has. He knows everything. I really hope that he will not point it out, _Ruka thought to herself.

_Oh, oh. I am not looking forward to seeing Grandfather. Will he help because I am on Amara's side? Oh! Of course he will! He loves her! Maybe this means that he will be nice this visit . . . _Ichijo practically smiled as he thought this.

_Ruka looks really stressed. She keeps looking at me from the corner of her eye. _Kain sighed. _She probably thinks she looks bad, even though she looks even better than she did for prom. Or maybe that is it: she self-conscious about wearing something like that twice. Poor girl. Kaname-sama strikes a fear into her heart that she thinks she is comfortable with. I wish I could get some sense into her. _

_She looks sad. Why? She is so deep in thought. I . . . I think I feel the same way about her that I do about Kaname-sama. And look at this Mike. Is he really human? His eyes are so knowing. Jeesh. He might have lived a fraction of my lifetime but he looks like he has been living longer than Ichio. _Aido blabbed inside his head.

_Kaname. Please look at me._

My brother sensed his name and looked down at Yuki, who was sitting next to him. Yuki looked into his eyes, and her thoughts were engulfed. She just stared at him. He stared back, a smile easing onto his face.

It was then that I noticed that Yuki was also wearing her prom dress, given to her by my brother. It occurred to me that it must have been made by my designer, also. It was so unique and beautiful. It fit her character perfectly. Someone had even done her hair, though it was different. I knew this because I knew that Zero had helped her this time. He was still wearing his uniform as a result. I admired him.

Silent in the corner, all he could think about was what this little trip would mean for Yuki and for himself, but mostly Yuki. He was slightly concerned about what the senate would think of him. Would they think, 'Level D' or 'vampyre hunter'?

_I am so terrified. I can't help it. I want to be brave. It's taking everything for me to stay in my seat. Amara's past was so violent and filled with horrible vampyres, like the monsters from the movies. Now those vampyres are angry and want to take revenge. Her future is going to be horrible. Amara is so kind-hearted . . . how will she win against a bunch of blood-thirsty demons? Shiki's eyes . . . are different colors . . . he is so awful. He's the same thing Kaname is, and he thinks he can treat Amara like this! I want to kill him myself! _Mike glared at the floor, fuming.

I felt a pain in my heart for him. My human. Instincts smashed aside, I took Mike's trembling hand and squeezed it gently. His energy, strong and pure, danced under my palm. I had never felt someone do that before. I had never felt a person's energy with the nerve endings of my body.

Mike's mouth twitched, almost into a smile. He looked at me with darting eyes. I reassured him.

_Ah, Mike. Relax. I can handle anything they wish to challenge me with. And you will be safe every second of the time. There is no need to worry. _

Mike's eyes got big. _Amara? Are you talking to me through my mind?_

I smiled and nodded. _Yes. I am. I am giving my thoughts to you. _

_Oh my god. You can hear my every thought. You are in my head. She's in my freaking head! If I think something bad . . . oh, no! No, do not think! I must not think! Wait, she is expecting an answer! How do I answer that? 'Thank you?' _Mike rambled frantically.

_Shh, Mike. We do not have to speak with our minds. It is just that I do not feel comfortable talking in front of the assassin. We can ride silently, like everyone else._

_No! Wait! Don't hang up! I want to talk to you. Really. I love talking to you. I do. Really I love talking with you . . . _

_Please calm down. You are going to give me a headache. _I chuckled. Everyone in the limo stared. _Oh. I do love hearing you think. Your thoughts are so beautiful. _

Mike got very quiet and very still. His eyes fell to rest on the floor. _Hmm. She is rambling as much as I did. Does she get nervous like me?_

_Of course I do. I am nervous all of the time. Can you imagine walking around with my kind of power, trying not to kill the ones I love? Oh. That reminds me of the friends we left back home. I miss them. I really wish they could be here, too. But they were . . . too disoriented. Plus, the fewer I put in danger, the better._

_I don't mind being in danger as long as I am with you. _Mike thought to me.

I smiled.

Mike's eyes went very large. _How are you not thinking? I am thinking all of the time. I can't stop thinking. Especially when I'm nervous. Oh my gosh, does she read my mind when I don't know it . . . _often_?!_

I giggled. _I give you my thoughts, but only the ones I want you to have. I can ignore your room and not hear your thoughts. I can, however, root around in your brain if the higher being allows and find your past thoughts. _

_That is wicked scary. _

_I know. _I teased. _And I can control your mind. See? I can handle myself. If I wanted to, I could kill everyone in the senate with just a thought. _

_Then . . . why not? _Mike thought slowly, his heart hammering weakly in his chest. He tried to breathe normally, but was terrified.

I frowned. _You are scared of me?_

_No. Never. _Mike said. _Just what I will see . . . and what they will do to try to execute you so that you cannot get away._

_I hope it will not get to that._


	16. My Thirst

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Sixteen_

My Thirst

An hour later, Mike had fallen asleep. Apparently he had been too worried to sleep the night before. Ichijo had also leaned over in his chair and was snoozing. Yuki was leaning on Kaname's arm. Zero was slouching, his legs crossed, his eyes watching the scenes change outside the window. The assassin had maneuvered himself so that he could see me perfectly. I was still sitting as politely as I could, attempting to spare my clothes from wrinkles.

My thirst was beginning to get to me, as it did every evening after school. Fighting off the scent of blood makes one thirstier. Mike smelled so good. That was another reason I was not slumping against the back of the seat: I would smell him even better.

I kept my mind occupied with the sweet chaos inside Mike's mind as he slept. He kept remembering something he had watched on television about some sort of mantis. It was enchanting to him. He also remembered Cross Academy a lot, daintily picking apart all of its beautiful details. At this stage in his sleep, he was not dreaming. He was only seeing glimpses of things. His mind was childlike in its fascination.

I kept him in the corner of my eye always.

I felt a wave of hunger pass over me, and immediately sensed Zero watching me carefully. I met his eyes.

"Is there any blood in here?" Zero asked the assassin.

"No. Not for you, at least." the assassin grinned and held up a flask from which he took a long swig. It was filled with blood.

"That is rude." Aido frowned.

"Really. Just because one of us has wrongly been accused – two actually – does not mean that you are excused from treating us with respect." Ruka chimed in.

"Too bad. I was given orders not to give anyone any blood. Said, 'It will make them more powerful.' That was your plan, right?" the assassin teased.

"Not really. It is just that, well, if we get hungry you will be the first to go, and that would look very good to the senate." Zero said with a shrug. He continued watching me out of the corner of his eye.

The assassin did not reply.

"Shi, how much longer until we reach the senate?" I asked.

"Do not ask me." he snapped.

For a moment I was tempted to make him feel some sort of pain, but as per usual I suppressed it.

Kaname cocked his head at me. I acknowledged him half-heartedly.

Not thirty minutes later, I had completely turned away from Mike. I did not allow myself to see him from the corner of my eye. "I do so hate this time of day." I said in my brother's direction.

"You will be fine." Kaname replied softly, for Yuki had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

I tried to calm myself down. It took so much out of me to prevent myself from doing things, though. I was not even the only one suffering in the car. The sun was setting, and it was breakfast time for the Night Class students. Zero was pressed firmly against the wall of the car.

Mike was dreaming now. Every now and then, I gently nudged his dream back onto a sweet path when it would start veering toward a nightmare. Mostly he dreamt of our friends attending Cross Academy with us as fellow kings and queens, and it being our castle. Outside, he walked in the gardens at sunset often while I picked purple, white, and black flowers and while Melissa searched for caterpillars and while Benjamin read a book and sat on a marble bench.

At that moment, his dream-self walked up to his mind's version of me and took my hand. My eyes turned red and I grinned fiendishly.

I exited his dreams in a rush, cutting off my mind's eye from attempting to finish the story. I clutched my heart.

He sensed I wanted his blood.

Mike sighed.

I turned to him, my eyes lured to the creature that had made the pleasured sound. My eyes were unable to perceive what my mind was telling me.

I have to tell you that I am biased before I tell you that Mike was the most angelic being on the planet. So peaceful in his slumber. He did not dream the things I did. His inner workings did not allow for such. He was simply beautiful, inside and out. His smell was as wonderful as his looks.

_Amara, sit up straight. You are leaning toward him. _

Kaname's thoughts forced me upright. I soon found myself leaning against the cushions again, however. My head was pounding. Everything slowed down. . . .

Keep pulling. The higher being allows your leash to grow longer as you wish, so use that opportunity to get as far away from your body as possible. The further you are, the less pain you are in. Perhaps you might want to enter Mike's dream for real now?

_There was blood on his neck and on my mouth. His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep. He was lying on stained flowers, the sun suspended forever at a steep angle. My spirit had been mostly pulled into the dream already; now I only put the rest of me into that shell. Now it was _really_ I who was lying in the flowers next to Mike, holding his hand. _

_"They cannot get you while you are here. The monsters cannot come out during the day." _

_"Mike I am a monster, too. Look what I just did to you." I opened my eyes and rolled onto my side, a little surprised._

_Mike smiled, his eyes still closed. "I volunteered." _

_"No. You did not do it because I was thirsty. There was another reason." I frowned. _

_Mike opened his eyes now, too. He sat up on one elbow. This made his face closer to mine. "Yes. There was. I wanted to feel what it was like. And it was every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be." _

_"In real life, it hurts. You cannot wait for it to end. You get weaker and weaker with each agonizing intake of blood by the vampyre. Your head swims, and you feel nauseous. Usually, you faint if you survive." I practically growled angrily at him. _

_Mike frowned, confused yet still dreamy. "No. I meant actually helping you. I know I will be useless fighting Shiki, but I can help you now. I can sense that you are still thirsty. At least, your body is. This is the one thing I can really do for you." _

_My face relaxed into a reassuring smile. "You help me all of the time. I do not know what would have happened if you had not bought me sunscreen that day at the amusement park. But Mike, you cannot help me this way. If I were to bite you, you would become a vampyre." _

_"What is the problem with that? I would live forever. You would never have to say goodbye." _

_"Mike, it is very rare that a vampyre is not like Shiki." I admitted. "I am not saying that you would become like him, but I am telling you that it is too dangerous a life for you, and even for me. I, at least, can manage to stay out of it." _

_"You didn't manage so well this time." _

_I sighed and lay back down. "I know. This is different. Once it is finished . . ." _

_"I can hear your thoughts, and you are wrong." _

_I stared into his eyes. _

"We have arrived." the assassin grunted.

My eyes batted open. I did not recall falling asleep. I tried to remember . . . but all I knew was that I wound up in Mike's dream, lying with him in a huge garden of flowers.

Speaking of, I had never smelled anything so incredible in my life. I felt wonderful. I focused, trying to figure out why. Then I realized that I had leaned across Mike's lap when I fell unconscious. He was coming awake, his head above me. I looked up to see him looking down at me, blinking his eyes hard. When he stopped, his lips slowly pulled into a smile.

I smiled back, unwilling to get up. I did, though, and allowed the assassin to escort me out of the limo. He stood nearby while everyone else filed out of the limo. I caught Ruka before she could get too far from me.

"How do I look?"

She grinned. "Like you have had plenty beauty sleep."

I scoffed jokingly. "Really though."

"Oh, you look wonderful."

I smiled. "Thank you."

Mike walked behind me, angling himself protectively, and I did not tell him that it was useless.

I was so in love with him.

"Has the group doubled?" Shiki asked as he walked up from one of the other limousines. The street lights made him look ever more menacing. But in his son's body . . . he was actually beautiful. I was standing in the presence of a real Dracula.

My Michelangelo was too much like Michel from _The Lost Boys _to be swayed by Dracula.

"It has. Some friends of mine decided to join us." Kaname said boldly.

"I see." Shiki was not happy about that. He seized each one of us up until he got to me. Now it was I who stood protecting Mike. "Kuran, I was not aware that you had any respect for the old ways." he said.

"I may not be very old, but I have been raised well." I replied, my kind tone contradicting my intentions.

Shiki frowned. Senri's body made the action less horrific than it would have in his old body. "Come. The senate is expecting you." Shiki then spun on his heel and stomped off in the direction of the senate building, which was larger than but more business-looking than the castle of Cross Academy. Unseen guards opened the door for him.

Senri's great uncle walked between our group and the doors. Suddenly we were again surrounded by assassins. There were many more this time. My heart leaped. He turned and walked toward the door, and we followed.

_Kaname, protect Mike! You know I cannot show that . . . _I thought at him desperately.

_I have everything under control. No one here will be harmed. Yet . . . _

_Thank you_. I tried to calm down.

We were herded into the building like animals, though it looked as if we were merely being escorted. I did not pay any attention to the protection of Mike that anyone could see. With my powers I guarded the very air around him.

The wind picked up, and I was surrounded by the sweet scent of Mike. My knees locked, and I fell back into his arms. Surprised, he shook me. "Amara? Are you conscious?" he stammered.

I opened my eyes and stood quickly. "Yes, I am fine. I am only famished."

"That is not good."

We spoke in Japanese for the assassins to hear. They ignored us.

The guards opened the enormous doors for us and led us into a sophisticated yet simple building furnished with the finest, most simple things. Kaname, Jchijo, and Kain were leading the way. Yuki and Zero followed closely behind, then came Aido and Ruka. Then me, then Mike. I hated having him behind us all, closest to the assassins.

I strode with my head high and my face expressionless. When Shiki's uncle-in-law walked through more large doors opened by guards, the assassins in front went in both directions and Kaname led our friends to the right. Mike slipped out from between the assassins and me to follow them. I was left standing in the doorway, assassins surrounding me on three sides, my fists clenched. I looked out over the senate.

Ichio sat at the head of the table, a long way away from where I stood. The table was incredibly long. Everyone in the senate had come. Perhaps more. There were even teenage purebloods like Sarah Shirabuki sitting in chairs against the walls (though there were few. . . . There were also prestigious aristocrats joining them.) Shiki sat to the left of Ichio.

"Amara Kuran-sama." Senri's great uncle announced to the senate.

Ichio stood. Slowly, everyone else followed. For a moment I just stood there, wondering what was going on. Then it occurred to me to bow to them as they were also regarding me. So I curtseyed, wondering if that was still what people did.

Ichio almost smiled at me, and I almost smiled in return. He motioned for a single chair opposite himself, which sat, alone, in front of me. An assassin moved to pull it back for me. I sat slowly, and everyone else did, too.

"Please pull up some chairs for Kaname Kuran-sama and the rest of the Cross Academy Night Class. They have had experience in a senate room." Ichio stated. At his request, the secretaries that waited outside the many doors brought in five chairs and placed them to both the right and the left of me. One assassin pulled a chair back for Ruka. The rest of the men seated themselves. Kaname was now to my right.

Ichio seized me up. "We have all come here to finally try Amara Kuran-sama justly." he began. Then he paused, unhappy. "It seems, however, that it must wait. Now we must feed our guests."

At once, waitresses and waiters emerged from the ornate wooden doors and bustled about, serving glasses of red liquid and plates of ramen to the aristocrats. It smelled sweeter than the concoction produced by water and blood tablets. I wondered what the senate was drinking. . . .

The waiter gave some to each of my friends, too. Ichio whispered to one of the waitresses, and after five minutes she returned from wherever she had been instructed to go and handed Yuki and Mike both tea and ramen. I smiled at Ichio thankfully. He nodded at me once.

He stood and asked to speak with Shiki. They talked in the hallway closest to them, and I knew what they were discussing. Ichio was not pleased at the way he was treating my friends and me. He said that I was still a pureblood and I could still take all of them down if I wished. Shiki was disrespectful. Ichio returned to the room, furious.

The glass in front of me was definitely filled with blood. I picked it up and drank slowly, with polite sips, despite my starvation. Zero, who was sitting in a chair next to Yuki's and Mike's against the wall, was apprehensive about his beverage. He stuck to eating his ramen.

When everyone was finished, I thanked Ichio and the senate for the meal.

Now it was time to get down to business.

How it would go, I was unsure. I knew that this would not be settled in one day. I knew also that there was pain and blood in the future, so I could only expect that I would loose the battle in the next few hours. Whether or not I would be put to death, I did not know. There was nothing to suggest that I would not.

* * *

You can still tell me what you want to happen! In fact, I am extending the deadline to Chapter Twenty! I look forward to any creative suggestions anyone has, no matter how weird or un-related to the story they may be. Please . . . do not hesitate. :) And would someone please review? I know you are out there! There are seventy-some reviews I should be getting!!!!!


	17. My Trial Part One

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Seventeen_

My Trial (Part One)

Kaname gave me a look that said that he was preparing. He had on his serious face. I acknowledged that with my eyes. I had never had to be business-like before, but it was in my genes.

Ichio stood at his seat. "Now I will list the items we have against you. After each item is listed, you will tell us how you plea. From there we will debate, but there will be no debating until every item has been dealt with." Ichio announced.

I nearly cried with joy, but my face showed nothing but that I agreed with what he was saying. I had expected that, like other criminals of my severity, I would not be able to speak for myself.

"During the debating, you may use your witnesses. They must stay silent until then. All agreed?" Ichio called.

Everyone in the room nodded.

"Good. Then, Amara Kuran-sama, do you swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

I would have screamed with laughter if I had not been scared out of my right mind. "I do."

"Then we begin." Ichio said. He lifted a folder from the table and opened it. Reading its contents, he began.

"You have rebelled against the senate, Kuran-sama. How do you plea?" Ichio asked.

"Innocent." I said.

"And why do you plea innocent?"

I smiled with admiration. "I love my country and the senate who makes it easy to do as one wishes without fear of rogue vampyres. A world without a strong and capable governing body is nothing. I would never rebel against the senate. What I did was misinterpreted."

"You evaded apprehension by the Assassins of the Senate, and thus the senate. How do you plea?"

"Innocent."

The room filled with murmurings. Kaname gave me a reassuring look.

"And why do you plea innocent?"

"The leader of the group of Assassins of the Senate who attacked me in the train station told me his intentions, and they were to execute me and take my brother into custody, though he was innocent. I did not evade apprehension."

The room was much louder this time.

"Did you evade the law?"

"I did not. I was never told my charges, and I was unaware of any reasonable reason that I should be executed."

The room erupted.

_"She was not told her charges? Why is that even necessary?"_

_"The Assassins failed to inform her of her charges? Is that not against code?"_

_"She was _unaware_ of any _reasonable_ reasons she would be executed! Ha! She attempted to murder an innocent pureblood!"_

"Order." Ichio called. "We have not begun the debating, and until then there must be silence."

"Yes, yes. We are aware of that. Ichio, ladies and gentlemen, are we really going to accept her pleas? We know what happened." Shiki said.

"You are correct, but we are dealing with a pureblood. She must be able to defend herself."

"Purebloods should not be allowed to be above the law any longer." Shiki announced.

"Shiki-sama, not here." Ichio said. "Please, everyone settle down so that we may continue."

Shiki adjusted himself in his seat, crossing his arms.

"Amara Kuran-sama, you murdered about twenty of the senate's assassins. How do you plea?"

"Self-defense."

"Would you care to explain?"

"The lead assassin told my brother that he would be put to death after a short trial. Neither of us were aware that we were guilty of anything. They moved to kill us. I defended us." I said simply. I knew we would debate this endlessly later. It was best to keep things short and sweet now.

"You had vampyre hunters attempt to kill fifty assassins at the docks. How do you plea?"

"Innocent." Ichio nodded for me to continue. "I had called on the vampyre hunters for protection until I could get things understood. They tried to buy me time so that I could escape, and while they succeeded, they were all killed."

"You had one vampyre hunter kill about two of the senate's assassins. How do you plea?"

"Innocent. Cho Cross was protecting herself, my brother, and me, and was killed."

"You destroyed the body of a pureblood and nearly killed him. How do you plea?" Ichio asked, his face dead-serious. This was probably the most important inquiry.

I had thought about it during other questions and still had no answer. So I went by instinct.

"Guilty." I said severely.

Shiki, surprised, leaned forward to see me more clearly. He was amused.

"You are gifted beyond the normal pureblood?"

"I am."

"And you are a threat to the senate?"

"I am not. Just like every other pureblood, I have no intentions of being a threat to anyone or anything."

Ichio seemed perplexed. Only I could tell that it was not hate behind his eyes. "Alright. That draws the list to an end. Now, to avoid conflict, I have decided we should let the witnesses and victims speak first. Shiki-sama, would you please tell us your story?"

"I would gladly do so." Shiki stood as Ichio sat. He looked out over the crowd slowly before he began. "Well, I heard about the special new Kuran child just as everyone else here did. I was busy, regretfully, on the night of her soiree and did not attend. I was working here, in the senate. I did not hear of what had happened with Shikuza Hio-sama. I thought it was polite, so I scheduled a visit at the Kurans' mansion. The child, Amara Kuran-sama, threw a temper tantrum. I was holding her in my arms one minute, the next it was as if a small tornado was in the room. She became blisteringly hot, and scorched my skin. She began screaming. Kaname Kuran-sama took her from me and rushed her away. I did not return to the Kurans' Mansion, not wanting to upset the girl again. When the controversy began here in the senate over whether or not she was a threat to us, I noticed her parents becoming very ill-looking. I followed them home the night that they won the fight, fearing for their health. They both looked like they had lost their minds. When I arrived, they had killed themselves. When Amara Kuran-sama and Kaname Kuran-sama arrived, the daughter of my colleagues screamed again and I felt tremendous pain. It lasted for a long time, so severe that I did not know what part of me was hurting and for what reason. Then, I blacked out. I remember waking up years later under the care of my uncle-in-law, who helped me heal. When I heard that Amara Kuran-sama had finally been found, I asked my dear son Senri if I might use his body to attend this meeting tonight. He agreed. My body now lies in a rectangular-shaped tub on the floor, with a contraption dripping blood slowly into the needed areas. Slowly, I am regenerating."

Ichio nodded. Shiki sat back down. "Could you kindly fill us in on what condition you found the body of Shiki-sama in?" he addressed Senri's great uncle, who nodded and stood.

"His body was an unrecognizable mound of flesh and bone and blood on the floor. It had been ripped apart, bled, and turned inside out. He was both frostbitten and burned. A purple flame still happily consumed him."

There were murmurings and shudders. Everyone eyed me, terror on their faces. They stared at Shiki's uncle-in-law incredulously and awestricken.

"Amara Kuran-sama, would you care to share your side of the story?" Ichio asked.

I stood and bowed my head to Ichio. "My memories as an infant are strikingly sharp." I began. I told the entire story, even the things about Shikuza Hio. When I was finished, the senate was split between an uproar and silence.

"Who would you like to back up your story?" Ichio asked.

"My brother, Kaname Kuran-sama." I said. Kaname immediately stood and told the story through his eyes.

"My grandson, Ichijo, would you tell your side?" Ichio asked. Ichijo did as he was told.

"Did you ever feel that she was a threat?" Ichio asked.

"All powerful beings can feel overwhelming at times, but no, I never felt that. I always felt that she was kind and caring."

Ichio stopped himself before it could become obvious that he was biased. "Three of the victorious assassins from the docks have joined us today. They will now share their sides of the story."

Three men stood. They had been sitting in chairs against the wall. The one in the middle bowed his head to Ichio.

"I am the head assassin from that day. I remember it well. We were waiting for the Kuran children to arrive. We had guessed that they would be escorted by vampyre hunters, and we were apprehensive about fighting them. War was our last intention. We had our orders, though. We were to bring the Kuran children into custody, and we were to let no one stop us, even if it meant taking their lives. We were told that they were extremely dangerous. We handled the situation with care, but the vampyre hunters did, too. Though they were outnumbered, when we moved in they attacked. They managed to hold us off just until the children boarded the ship and it departed. That was when we broke their barrier. They did not back down, so we fought and killed them."

One of the other men nodded once. "My experience was the same."

"Mine was the same, as well." the last one said. "The vampyre hunters attacked us bloodthirstily, in my opinion."

"Thank you. Everyone's input is greatly valued. Now, the debating will begin." Ichio said.

I went very cold and very still. Unable to stop myself, I looked back at the wall behind me. Searching for support, I sought Mike's eyes. He had already been watching the back of my chair. Our eyes locked and conveyed a silent message. Mike would vouch for me if it was called upon. He did not have a lot to tell, but he would be able to tell the senate what I had been doing for the past couple of years . . . and what I had not been doing, such as drinking humans' blood.

I turned back to the senate.

"The first item to be debated using the information we have received: is the defendant guilty of rebelling against the senate?" Ichio asked.

There was a lot of hesitant and careful murmuring. Finally, one woman of the senate stood. "I am afraid that now is not the time for debating, either. I think that the senate needs some time to mull things over, and perhaps to gather more evidence. Accusing a pureblood who has been known as the victim of the crime one has been accused of committing of being the murderer . . . is not a shallow subject and must be handled with extensive care."

Everyone in the room agreed except for those whom Shiki had on his side, but Shiki's influence could not penetrate the majority's reasoning.

"This trial will be postponed until tomorrow. No more cases will be seen until this one is brought to a close. All witnesses, defendants, and victims will be housed in the senate building under close watch until then. None of them are to leave these grounds or to be without supervision until then. Understood? Dismissed." Ichio said. In a flourish, he swiped up his papers and strode out of the door.

Shiki looked slightly flabbergasted. Angrily, he jerked his head meaningfully toward the door through which Ichio had exited, meeting his uncle-in-law's eyes. They stormed after Ichio noisily, Shiki leading the way.

"You are not allowed to speak to anyone as you depart. Please, come with me, Kuran-sama." an assassin behind me said. He pulled my chair back as I stood, and he held his arm ready to escort me. As we left, I saw other assassins tending to my friends, telling them that they could stay and mingle if they wished and that they could talk to me at any time in my chamber.

Some people, however, wanted to ask each of them questions. Investigators and medical examiners and lawyers flocked from chairs I had not noticed and descended upon my friends and searched, confused, for Shiki.

Four men assembled behind my escort and me. Soon, our footsteps and breathing were all that I could hear in the large building. I was led down a wing that resembled a fancy hotel hallway. Along the way, some guards joined us. When we got to my designated room, they opened the door for me and walked me inside.

At this point, the assassins left.


	18. My Night in the Night Clan Great Hall

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Eighteen_

My Night in the Night Clan Great Hall

"Please, take a look around and see if everything is to your liking, Amara Kuran-sama." one guard said.

"Thank you." I bowed to them slightly then entered the room. It was extravagant. I could guess that Sarah Shirabuki would be staying in a room similar to mine. There was even a refrigerator and a kitchen-like area to the left, a sitting room with a large flat-screen straight ahead, a desk with a computer, and a closed door that must have led to a bedroom. Everything was warm and shiny. Curious, I opened the dark wooden door and walked into an enormous bedroom with a bed that I could get lost in. The linins were breath-taking. There was a beautiful armoire that immediately wanted to take home with me. The TV inside was definitely not a bad thing to take home, either. Like a girl in a candy store, I peeked inside the monstrous closet with large mirrors and another dresser inside. Then I went back out into the bedroom and from there into the bathroom. It was bigger than a spa could ever hope to be.

This was something like a Presidential Suite, or a Queen Suite . . . or probably even more than the Queen's bedroom. I did not dare question whether the gold was real or not.

These things were practically forced upon me by the aristocrats because of my lineage. I suppose my blood was worth it; _I _sure was not. No, they did not want to treat me like royalty because I was of royal blood. They wanted to flatter me (as well as the other purebloods) because I had blood that could give anyone I shared it with great power. Thinking of this, I felt smugly guilty.

Four of the seven guards followed me. I turned to them, smiling.

"What wonderful accommodations for a prisoner." I commented.

They tried to keep their faces stiff, but they each smiled back.

"This room is not usually used by defendants, but rather by people of high rank of visits to the senate." one with jagged brown hair said, grinning.

"Not that you are not of high rank." one with blonde hair added quickly. "He meant people visiting the senate who are of high rank, not people who are or high rank but who are also defendants and who are not visiting the senate."

"I understood, thank you, though." I said. "Might I ask where a phone is?"

All four of the men fumbled for a moment.

"Yes, uh, there is a cordless one in the kitchenette, but I am not sure if you, the accused, are supposed to use it," one with darker brown hair said, trying to be business-like.

I rather liked this treatment, as compared to when I was under Shiki's care. Ichio was a kind man.

"Do I not get my one phone call?" I asked, still smiling. Obviously, these men had not been informed of who I was, and if they had they had not heard what I was accused of.

"Well, um, I suppose you can. After all, you are a pureblood." one with black hair allowed. "Please, come." he turned, and his comrades and he led me out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. They showed me to the phone.

"We have been given orders to guard you at all times, with the exception of the bathroom and bedroom. I am sorry that you will not have any privacy." the one with the black hair said.

"That is fine." I assured him.

Each of the men nodded at me, then each walked to a different corner of the room. Each of them, except for one.

"May I ask, Tono, why you are not here on friendly terms?" the blonde one asked gently.

I smiled at him. "I am not here on unfriendly terms, but I have killed my attackers and have attempted to kill the murderer of my parents, the Kurans. Their murderer was a pureblood with high connections in the senate."

The blonde man's eyes were large. He bowed and quickly retreated to his corner of the room. The rest of the men gawked.

I turned from them and dialed Kaien's number. He answered on the second ring.

_"Amara-chan! It is you, isn't it?" _

"Of course it is. How are things?" I asked.

_"Fine. How are things there?" _

"My trial has been postponed until tomorrow. Though the evidence Shiki-sama has presented is more concrete than mine regarding the assassins I killed at the train station – the bodies – I have a good fight. His evidence regarding what went on in the mansion is just as flexible as mine." I sighed. "His argument is that he followed my parents home after they had won the debating here and had entered their library to find that they had committed suicide, and that when I walked into the room I threw a tantrum and killed him."

Kaien was silent for ten seconds exactly. _"Amara-chan, that man has no morals." _

I caught a tear before it dripped off of my face. "I know what I saw. He tortured my parents."

_"I know. I know. I am bringing the president of the vampyre hunter council when I come tomorrow night. We will vouch for you." _

"Thank you." I took a deep breath, restraining myself. I wanted him here like I wished my own parents were alive. I wanted Cho here.

I was ashamed, and angled myself so that none of the guards could see my face. I guess I could not go long being a 'big girl'.

_"You are wrong, Amara-chan. You have not failed. You have just had a lot to go through. I will see you soon. Until then, know that you have friends looking after you." _

"Yes." I said. "I do. Thank you."

_"You are welcome. Goodbye." _I heard the smile on his voice.

"Goodbye." I hung up the phone and placed it on its holder.

I knew my friends were probably busy talking with people or being taken to their rooms. I hoped Yuki and Mike would get as wonderful of rooms as the purebloods. I feared for them, though, being in a building overflowing with vampyres. I really hoped their rooms were near Kaname's. I hoped his was close to mine.

I gave in and sat on the couch. I did not flick on the television. I did nothing but think for a long time. Then I smiled at one of the guards, the one with blonde hair.

"I suppose, if I had had any foresight, I would have known to bring a book or two." I joked. It made me laugh because of the irony, but he only frowned sadly at me.

"It is because of Shiki-sama that you are in this mess."

"No." I shook my head slightly. "It is because of me being what I am. I am Amara Kuran, the baby girl who can destroy everyone and everything with a mere thought." I hugged myself. For almost twelve years I was the only one who hugged me.

There was a knock on the door, but my hopes did not fly. It was not a knock I recognized.

"Yes?"

"Pardon me, but are you taking visitors, Tono?"

"Yes." I replied cautiously.

The door opened slowly, exposing the guards outside. It also allowed the man to walk into my room. The guards saw my reaction, and closed the door behind him.

Warily, he walked toward me and stopped a few feet away from the couch.

I leapt to my feet and raced around the couch, right into his arms. "Oh, Mike, I am so glad to see you!"

Mike smiled. Neither of us let go. "After the first few hesitant people asked me questions, the dam broke and everyone was curious about the human boy that stood for you. I think you might win, Amara. Really, I do."

"That is fantastic. So how are you?"

"I'm fine. My room is as pretty as yours. I only have one guard in front of my door, though. I guess they don't see me as the threat that I am." Mike laughed. I felt like I was floating.

"How are my brother and the rest?"

"Ichijo is still talking to Ichio, but everyone else has been taken to their rooms. I came here right after I saw where mine was. I'm sure they'll get here soon."

I sighed. "You did well."

"What? When?" Mike asked, surprised.

"You charmed everyone in the room. I can feel people thinking about you. They know they can trust your word, and your word was in my favor. I am so proud of you. Thank you."

Mike pulled back to see my face. "I charmed them? Really?"

I laughed. "Yes. Is it so hard to believe? You charmed vampyres – purebloods and aristocrats alike."

His hazel eyes sparkled. "How? I'm just a human."

I grinned. "It is in your nature, Mike. Your wonderful nature."

"So . . . I helped? You might win now?" he asked skeptically.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! You told me you could and that you would: you did."

The door opened again. Mike and I let go of one another and turned to see Kaname, Kain, Aido, Ruka, Zero, and Yuki walk through it.

"I think things went well." Kaname said.

I made to run and hug him, too, squealing, but my plans were foiled. A wave of steal slammed into me like an airplane. I yelped, my smile replaced by a look of terror. My feet slid out from under me and the wave threw me backward onto the floor.

"Are you okay?" Mike asked, immediately kneeling next to me and lifting my head off of the floor. Kaname kneeled closer to my feet.

I blinked, disoriented. After two and a half seconds, my vision had cleared. My eyes opened wide. I quickly (and cautiously) sat up. I smiled, laughing at myself.

"What happened?" Kaname asked grimly.

"Now, if we treat the Higher Being like a nuisance It may not do the wonderful things It does for me."I said.

Kaname's face softened into knowing pity. "What did you see?"

I sighed. "It was scared that I would get my hopes up and that I would begin to overlook my prophecies. I was assured that there was still heartbreak and suffering in the near future." A smile slowly crept onto my face as my eyelids drooped lower. "It really cares for me . . ."

With that, I passed out.

***

"Mike, you should probably back up a little." Kaname's urgent voice warned. I felt a hand (his, I knew, because of the strength) under my head and a glass at my lips, pushing them away so that its contents could run down my throat. I tasted the blood, befuddled. I sipped more and more, loving the flavor. I sat up and opened my eyes. Kaname looked worried.

"Aido, will you get her a wet rag or something?" he asked.

When Aido turned to go to the kitchenette, I spotted Mike hanging out near that wall. Seeing him feeling so helpless and worried for me . . . it brought my maternal instincts out. I took the glass from Kaname and set it aside. I did not sit up because I was still nauseous and dizzy.

"Michelangelo, you can come nearer." I said teasingly. "You should know by now that I am not going to hurt you."

Mike smiled shyly. "I have never been present when you have fainted in the past."

I grinned. "You spoke Japanese as well as you understood it. You have been practicing on your own, have you not?"

Blushing, he swung one foot around. Then he walked up closer. "Well, I was so scared to mess up when I was speaking with the senate out there but I was equally scared to not say anything at all – I just did what I had to do, and let loose. I have not had any reservations since."

"What a large vocabulary, too." I commented.

"Thank you. I was taught well."

"Can you stand?" Kaname asked. "You should drink some more."

"I would like to sit here for just a little bit more. My body is weaker than it should be, to be able to handle all of this." I joked.

"Here. Have some more of this." Kaname picked the cup back up and handed it to me.

I frowned at him, but did as big brother instructed.

"Did you see anything different?" Kaname asked lowly.

"No. It was just a very strong reminder. Kaname, please calm down about all of this. I can handle myself." I assured him. "You need not worry when it comes to my gifts."

Kaname shook his head disapprovingly. "You do not think they are becoming too much?"

"Of course not." I said. "They are me. And they have not been growing more powerful; they have been maturing."

Kaname sighed and got to his feet. "Do you want to sit on the couch?"

I carefully got to my knees; my glass was empty. Then I stood. The world spun and I realized I did not like being so high up. The couch was favorably close; I held on tight.

"Are you going to be okay, really?" Ichijo asked fearfully.

"Yes. I promise. But tell me: what is on your mind?"

Ichijo, who must have arrived when I was out, looked nervous. He ran his fingers through his hair. "My grandfather, Ichio, has requested everyone's company for dinner. He was outside, but he went ahead to the dining hall. He did not want to come in to give you some privacy because of your condition."

"That was considerate of him, but he must know that I think of him as fondly as I would my own grandfather." I said. "Unless someone has other plans, we will all go."

Ruka looked a little nervous, herself, and Aido stared at the ground distastefully. I knew Ichio was a grump of a man, but I loved him dearly anyhow. I almost laughed at them.

I turned to a guard. "You have heard that Ichio wants me to join him for dinner. How are we going to execute this?"

"We will escort you to the dining hall and then guard the exits." the blonde one, the one I faced, responded. He exchanged looks with his comrades and it seemed that they all agreed. They filed toward the door.

"Can you walk?" Mike asked.

I stood completely on my two feet to prove it. "I do believe so."

"So do you want this?" Aido asked, offering the kitchen cloth he had soaked in cold water. I did want it horribly badly.

I thanked him and wiped it over my face to rid it of its clamminess. Then I rubbed my hands with it, attempting to get feeling back in them. It was not the first time I had fainted. I could not stand the feeling. When I had lived in Richmond, I fainted quite often due to my thirst plus humans plus the stress of working three jobs at a time. Especially in the booth. People are so needy. . . . Do they not know that that was the first time I had ever cooked and that compared to their first time, I was an expert? Sheesh.

I returned it to the sink and then joined everyone as they filed out of the door. Kaname gravitated toward Yuki unconsciously, and Zero walked on the outside protectively. None of them noticed. Ichijo and Aido noticed, of course, and Kain knew everything about everyone. He even probably realized that he was walking close to Ruka. I knew that I was making sure Mike was in my sight.

The dining hall was one of many. It must have been the smallest. It was still suited to fit fifty people. Ichio was again sitting at the head of the table. He actually smiled when we entered.

"Amara-chan. Please, I want you to sit to my left tonight." he said. "Takuma-kun, sit to my right. Let us not rely on formalities on this occasion. I am happy that everyone is here."

I gladly sat next to him. (I practically dragged Mike with me.) Kaname sat on the other side of him, and then Yuki and Zero, who looked like he felt out of place. Aido, Kain, and Ruka sat on Ichijo's side.

"Ichio-sama, I have missed you so."

Ichio smiled at me. "I have missed you, but I have not worried about you, Amara-chan. You are resourceful and will make it all of the way all on your own."

"Never on my own. I have my brother and friends to help me."

"Hmm. Well, let us dine for now. We can discuss serious subjects later." Ichio said. Waitresses then entered again, handing dishes to the aristocrats and humans, blood to the vampyres, and teas to the humans.

"There is one amongst us who I am not familiar with." Ichio said, eyeing Mike.

"I am Michelangelo Thomson." Mike said. "I am a friend of Amara's from America." His Japanese was perfect, and I smiled at him with eyes filled with adoration.

"It is nice to meet you, Michelangelo-kun." Ichio replied.

"It is nice to meet you, too, Ichio-sama."

Diner went like a dream. It made me sob on the inside, though. I really missed my friends in America, and all who had died for me.

When dinner was finished and the table was cleared, we got down to business.

"I really think that things went well tonight, but we are really hanging on what will happen tomorrow. Shiki-sama had ways of making sure that we did not receive word that you had been found until the day before he apprehended you. I can guess that Cross-san is going to bring the President of the society?"

"Yes."

"Good. She may bear concrete evidence proving exactly what went on inside your mansion. I have hired investigators, also. It is a mighty good thing that no one has touched the mansion other than – oh, what is his name? Shiki's uncle-in-law – because they may find something to suggest that they could not have possibly done what was done to themselves. They are very good at their jobs."

"That is great." I said, considering.

"To be safe, you must go with all of the other options that are possible. I will still vouch for you tomorrow, along with Kaien and the President. Kaien and I will talk about your personality, too. I would love to get Aido's parents and my own child in on things, but they are very busy, as is to be expected. I honestly do not know what my son is doing these days. . . . Anyhow. What are your thoughts?"

"I agree with you fully, and I am so grateful – I bet you set everything up years before I was found."

"Yes, of course. You and your brother are practically family. We must protect our name." Ichio said. "And your parents' name."

"Yes." I nodded. I knew Ichio liked me, too. He was not acting completely for honor. I did not allow my face to show my amusement and knowledge.

"I would like to vouch for her, too." Mike spoke up suddenly.

I turned to him. Ichio was also rather surprised. He stared intently at the human boy whom my heart belonged to, beckoning an explanation.

"I can recollect exactly what she was doing for the past two years, and how she is not a threat to the senate because she has no belligerent intentions. I can tell them that she is a pacifist, and that she was not even hiding from the senate. It was more like she was waiting."

Ichio thought for a long moment. "Very well. Very good. You will speak for her tomorrow, too."

Mike half-smiled. "Thank you."

Ichio nodded. "Well, I suppose you are all awfully tired, having been awake for around twenty-four hours. Everyone, go rest up and I will see you in the morning."

I smiled at the 'morning' thing. "Good night, Ichio-sama."

"Good night to you. And good night to all of you." Ichio said. He stood, and everyone else followed. Before I could turn to leave, he grabbed my arm.

"I would like to speak with you for just a second in private, if you do not mind."

"Of course not."

Ichio peered around me to make sure that everyone else was out of the door before whispering to me. "That boy . . . Michelangelo . . . he is going to be a great help tomorrow. Do you realize that?"

"Yes, Ichio-sama. Of course I know. I know exactly what he is going to be. But he is also going to be my greatest weakness. This fire is merely being kindled tomorrow. The bonfire has not even begun."

Ichio turned very, very grave. "Ah. I see. I am terribly sorry to hear that. But know that you are not alone."

"I know." I said softly, letting my gaze drop to the floor.

Ichio put a hand comfortingly on my shoulder, then left the room. I exited through another door, the same as my friends. Mike was waiting for me in the hall.

"What happened?" he asked lightly.

"Nothing much." I shrugged. "He is just pleased because he thinks things will go well tomorrow."

Mike did not comment. We walked down the hall, flanked by guards, into my room where everyone was waiting.

"The sun will be rising soon, and I am really tired. Does anyone mind if I retire early?" Aido asked, leaning on the back of the couch.

"No, I am also going to hit the sack." Ruka said.

"Everyone go on to sleep. I will see you all in the morning." I said as everyone filed out. "Thank you so much."

"We'll be there." Zero told me lowly, shocking me only a little. I gave him an appreciative and knowing smile as he left the room.

"Farewell, my sister. No matter what tomorrow brings, our promises remain the same." Kaname assured me. He gave me a hug, then exited.

"There are those like Shiki-sama who are cold-hearted, but there are lots more of vampyres like who are helping you and Kaname-sama who will understand your position better than you think." Yuki told me with a smile. "I used to think Ichio was cold-hearted, but I have been proven wrong. So, you will see."

"Thank you, Yuki-san." And I was beyond surprised that her words actually helped.

She laughed lightly. "Oh, you don't have to use honorifics with me. We are friends."

"Oh, alright. Thank you."

"It's no big deal. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight." I responded. From the doorway I saw my big brother watching us with a knowing smile on his face. He and I met eyes before Yuki, nearly-carefree and very innocent, caught up with him and they both walked down the hall.

The room was empty except for the guards who now took their places and Mike.

I turned to him where he had been waiting behind me. He was much closer than I had thought; there was only a foot of space between us.

"You are scared?" I asked gently. I used English for his benefit.

Mike cracked a smile. "Well, this is a building filled with vampyres."

"Where is your room?"

"Between Ruka's and Ichijo's."

"Hmm. Where is Kaname in reference to you?"

"Ichijo's is next to Zero whose is next to Yuki who is across from Kaname who is beside Kain who is beside Aido who is across from me."

"Nice." I laughed. "Well, it seems that you are surrounded on all sides by vampyres – who would kill for you."

"Yeah, but everyone (other than our friends) looks at me like I am something to eat."

"Well, if you really are scared, then you may stay here for the night. If the guards allow." I added.

Mike lost all of his coloring. "Uh, okay." he stuttered.

I wanted to laugh at him, but I was feeling the same way. I turned to the guards. "Mike is having reservations about staying alone. Is it allowed that he stay with me?"

"No," the black-haired man said, but his comrades said different things.

They exchanged glances.

"Well, I do not see a problem with it. After all, he is a human." the blonde said with a shrug. "It seems like there might be attempts on his life, your situations being as they are. I think it is the wiser choice."

"Maybe he should stay with Kaname-sama." the black-haired one suggested.

The two others, both with varying shades of brown hair, exchanged looks.

"Well, we think it is fine. You are a defendant and a victim as of now." the one with the lighter, more jagged hair said.

"He can stay." the one with the darker hair concluded.

"Thank you." I said. I then led Mike into the bedroom and swiftly (and definitely without missing a beat) went to the closet and handed him a robe from it. "Here. You will have to sleep in this tonight. Please, go into the closet and change out of your nice clothes so that they do not get wrinkled. That is all you will have for tomorrow."

Mike looked like he had just been thrown into the Super Bowl without any warning or training – ever. He did as I told him, and even closed the closet door behind him. When he came out, he had the black robe tied to him for dear life.

"Alright, now there should be toothbrushes and other things in the bathroom. Please go wash up while I change."

Mike nodded and left for the bathroom. I hid in the closet while I took off my dress and hung it up, then replaced it with the other, smaller and shorter black robe. When I came out of the closet, I went to the living room and sat down until twenty minutes later when the bathroom door opened and the smell of blood wafted into the room. Then I stood. Mike had tied his robe back on for dear life again.

Unable to help myself as I passed him, I asked, "Boxers or briefs?" then doubled over with laughter.

"Wha?" Mike's eyes were huge, but he had a grin on his face.

"Nothing. I just wanted to tease you." I said.

"Huh. Okay."

I went into the bathroom and took a shower and then tended to my teeth and face and such, then put back on my robe and undergarments. Then I walked back out and into the living area.

"There are probably spare sheets and blankets and such in that armoire in the bedroom. I will go get you some." I told Mike. I did as I said I would, and while he stood back I transformed the couch into a makeshift bed for him. "There you go."

"Thank you. Uh, look, I know it is really foolish of me . . . I mean. . . ."

I smiled at him and shook my head. "I know exactly what you are trying to say. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I went into the bedroom and cracked the door, then crawled into the most comfortable bed anyone has ever had the brain to make.

About forty minutes later, a dream awakened me. I got out of bed quickly and went to where Mike was asleep on the couch. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mike, come with me."

"Huh?" he opened his eyes slowly.

I looked at the guards. I gave them orders.

The tired guards looked confused, but they all nodded.

Mike was not moving fast enough, so I scooped him into my arms and darted into my room. My feet carried me swiftly into the living room again, where in an instant I made it look like it had never been touched. I rushed back and closed the bedroom door all of the way behind me. Then I leapt into bed and got under the blankets, and flung them on top of Mike, too.

"Be very still." I warned him.

For the next ten minutes we listened to what was going on outside. The guards traded places. The replacements were Shiki's assassins. Had they somehow figured out that Mike was in here, the result would be catastrophic. When no one moved, I decided I could breathe again.

_The guards are Shiki's. _I told Mike.

_Oh. Okay. So I am hiding from them_.

_Yes._

_Well, as long as we don't move at the same time, they won't be able to figure out that there are two people in here. _I felt Mike slipping back into unconsciousness.

Yes, that would be how it would be that night. I would be half-asleep, listening to the guards, guarding Mike and myself.

I really did sleep at some point, because I was in Mike's dreams and then suddenly it was morning. Actually, it was twilight.

* * *

Yes, "The Night Clan Great Hall" did change from its original name, "The Senate Building." I had no clue what to call the actual building until a few days ago when it just hit me as I was thinking of all of the different rooms inside of it and purposes it was for. The name fit perfectly, so I changed it. I don't know why it didn't occur to me sooner!!


	19. My Trial Part Two

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Nineteen_

My Trial (Part Two)

The next morning, the guards traded off. It was the originals again. I sensed them, and relief flooded through me. So I woke Mike up and he got dressed, then I got dressed, then we got cleaned up.

"Your friends are having breakfast in the same dining hall as last night. It is a buffet. Would you like to join them?" the one with the light brown hair asked.

"Certainly." I said. Mike and I were then escorted to the dining hall.

Everyone was casual, though dressed in formalwear. They laughed with each other and ate without formalities. Some stood around the buffet table. I was pleased.

Kaname found us immediately. At first he gave me a look, then smiled at both Mike and me. "Good morning."

Kaien rushed up to me and gave me a hug. "Kaname told me about our success. It is so good that Ichio is on our side." Then he stood back. "Amara-chan, I am certain you know who this is."

"Yes, I do. It is nice to finally meet you formally, President." I shook hands with an older-looking woman who seemed like she was supposed to be a vampyre instead of the head of the vampyre hunters.

"It is nice to meet you, too. I have seen you quite a few times as a baby, but it has been a while."

"It has." I agreed.

"Come, everyone, and eat." Kaname said. He led Mike and me to the half-empty buffet table. Mike filled up a plate and I grabbed a glass of blood.

We sat and talked with our friends until it was time to resume my trial.

I had all of the pieces to win the trial, and apparently, to put the rest of the prophesy in motion.

***

Now my side of the table was filled. No friends sat against the wall.

The room was on a different beat than the day before. When we entered and sat down, there was more appreciation than disdain. Kaname sat to my right. Mike sat to my left. Kaien was on the other side of Mike, and beside him was the President. On the other side of Kaname sat Yuki and Zero, then Ichijo. You understand: everyone was there.

Shiki had also brought more people to back his story up, it seemed. The men and women dressed darkly, and with their addition as well as my friends' many people sat in chairs against the wall.

"Welcome back. I hope everyone had a nice night. Today we continue the trial of Amara Kuran-sama. Yesterday we learned almost all sides of the story. I understand, however, that there are more testimonies waiting to be given. Those for the victim will go first." Ichio declared.

"I have here the records for the first trial regarding the dangerous and powerful Kuran baby, and the quotes of what Kuran-sama herself told us yesterday about her startling powers. There is nothing to suggest that Shiki-sama had any ill feelings toward any of the Kurans. He actually has the justice and wellbeing of the people at heart." It was a lawyer who said it, obviously, but I caught every strong and panicked brainwave and heartbeat: he was unsure of himself and knew that what he was trying to pull off was wrong in the first place. I think that that was what was wrong with him. I knew there was something severely wrong.

Then I realized. Something was about to happen.

"Example, Shi?"

"At one point he said, 'Purebloods should not be allowed to be above the law any longer.' He meant it. Do you not see, that the woman before you is just a person like you and me? Because of her lineage are you going to sit back while someone as dangerous as she is and _who has taken the lives of our devoted protectors _like she has convinces to put one of your most just allies and fellow senators behind bars or worse?"

"Shiki-sama, are these your feelings?" Ichio was slow and skeptical with his words. The way that he peered at Shiki told everyone that he was watching him closely.

"Yes, of course." Shiki responded. It was too bad that his eyes were so mysterious, because otherwise he would have been a horrible actor.

"Hmm. Continue."

"I feel that the best way to show that this woman is dangerous is to give you an example." the lawyer held up pictures of Shiki's body in its tub-like thing, being fed blood. It was quite disgusting. I felt pleased.

Everyone shuddered to some degree.

The lawyer clicked a button and suddenly some machine he had projected the image onto the ceiling.

"Imagine the pain this man has gone through because of a _misunderstanding_! You even consider that he is the villain here." the man said. "Here is your villain. And here is her power!"

There was lots of talking amongst everyone, so no one noticed the look on my face.

The lawyer pulled out a long blade and hurled it right at me. Now there were gasps as people saw the shiny silver fly past their faces. It rotated twice in the air, and I realized that I would not be able to duck it: it was headed for Mike.

I did not scream.

There was a huge, echoing _bang! _that rang in everyone's ears and even shook the ground in waves. After the initial _bang! _and during the repercussions was the clang of a chair. Then everything was silent. No one spoke. They all simply watched.

The President ripped the blade (too short to be a sword but longer than a machete, curved, and magical) out of the glowing purple mist floating in the air in front of Michelangelo. It stopped it as solidly as a wall would. Only Mike's cheek was cut, and it was minor compared to what would have happened. She examined it, surprised, and then glared at the lawyer and Shiki.

Mike, who was now not stuck between the blade and the back of his chair, turned to see my body lying limply on the ground, my chair overturned. I appeared unscathed, but I was completely unconscious.

My soul, which floated in front of Mike, laughed at him. Could he not recognize me when he saw me?

And then he did turn to the mist that was me, and had the dreamiest look on his face than I had ever seen. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but then I began to feel the tugging sensation I felt when my body needed me back. I floated back into my body, returning breath to it. I was reluctant, however. I wanted Mike to look at me like that all of the time.

My body (now me) was gasping. I sat up, blinking to readjust my soul to my eyes. Chi flooded me once more.

Mike rushed out of his chair to my side. (He looked like he was in pain.) "Are you alright? You just blocked that sword with your soul, I mean aren't you . . ."

I smiled. I had actually thought that the move would kill me, also. I guess I would not go that easily. "Come here. I bet that stings."

Blood ran down his face. He grimaced. "Yeah."

My hand I placed very gently behind his head and my other I guided his jaw with. I pulled my legs under me so that I could get better height.

Mike sighed as I put my lips near his long wound and blew gently against his flesh, ignoring the blood streaming down his cheek. I suppose he realized that I was healing him. When I pulled back he seemed much more relaxed. An assassin standing beside us handed me a handkerchief. Calmly I (caressed) the blood from his cheek. He took it back and placed it in his pocket while I thanked him.

I stood then. The assassin righted my chair. I helped Mike to his feet and returned him to his seat, then also sat. Then I turned my eyes on the lawyer.

"There you have it: she is capable of far more than we believe. Is it hard to believe that someone capable of all that we have seen would want to take over the senate, starting with Shiki-sama? Just because she is a pureblood does not mean that she can be treated differently. They have to abide by laws, too."

"Shi, Shiki-sama: that was out of line." Ichio growled. "What if she had not been able to save him?"

"Shiki-sama has seen what she is capable of." the lawyer said.

"It was my first time projecting my soul from my body." I stated.

Again the room was silent for a moment. I really wanted to go to sleep, but I kept myself looking unscathed and alert.

"Would you mind explaining to us the extent of your powers?" Shi asked.

I met Ichio's eyes and stood. "It is required of me by law to explain my medical attributes?"

Ichio shook his head.

"Then I ask you to please respect my privacy." I told the lawyer, and sat back down.

I could tell out of the corner of my eye that Kaname could tell that I was furious; so was he.

"Is this all that you have to offer?" Ichio asked Shiki.

"What more is there to say?" Shiki replied. "I am at the mercy of the senate's judgment."

"Then, the defendant's testimonies will begin." Ichio announced. "First, the investigators the Kurans hired."

The men and women dressed darkly now stood. "We found from looking at the bloodstains and corpses on the floor still in the library of the Kuran mansion that the two pureblood parents were obviously murdered. There was no way that they could have even killed one another, judging from how far apart they were sprawled. They could not have done it to themselves because there was no evidence that anything had been hit hard enough to dislocate their limbs the way that they were. It was obvious that a fight had taken place in that room, because of the damage to the things in it. Again, none of the damaged things were damaged enough to suggest that a pureblood threw a body part at one of them hard enough to dislocate that limb." one of the women said. She had her hip popped and she seemed royally bored and furious to be there.

I loved her reason: she was angry because no one had gone out to see the evidence before then. If they had, there would be no fight.

"There was evidence that a door knob had been broken in order for the murderer to get into the house. The blood on the wood floors belongs to three different people, one of those being Shiki-sama. His blood was shed close to the exact moment that the others' was. Amara Kuran-sama says that she saw Shiki-sama finish off her parents. The timing works perfectly, and the place matches her description." the woman concluded. She hit a button and Shiki's image was replaced by one picture of the library after the other.

"Last but not least, we too, have a complete record of the senate's activities the day that the Kuran case was won. The senate did not send out any assassins. They were unaware of any malicious activity. It was not until the day after that the senate issued the hunt for Amara Kuran-sama." one of the darkly dressed men said. "Shiki-sama had been in contact with a different group of assassins and that is who Kuran-sama had to defend herself against. The records for that are right here." The woman clicked a button and the ceiling now showed what the man was talking about. "In fact, those assassins resigned earlier that day and many others have been resigning since to join the army of Shiki-sama. The ones that brought Kuran-sama and company here are not accounted for presently, to keep our numbers correct. We can see them all filing out and disappearing from view in the outdoor and indoor security cameras here at the Night Clan Great Hall. Whether these men are under his power or not I cannot tell you. But it is plain to see that Shiki-sama knew he would need them, and still needs them."

There was much chatter. Shiki looked very uncomfortable. I was grinning evilly to myself on the inside.

Meanwhile the investigators' news made my heart turn icy. _"But it is plain to see that Shiki-sama knew he would need them, and still needs them."_

Ichio nodded, half-smiling. "Now, I will say that the Kuran children were at my house on the day that the trial of Amara Kuran-sama was won and that Cho Cross, the woman who had driven them to see Ichijo, did have to take them home early because Amara was in tears. When I got word, I did visit the house and I can tell you that the pictures the investigators are showing you are no different from what I saw. The next day when the short debate was had to hunt her or not to, I asked that we inspect the house but was overruled by the uncle of the wife of Shiki-sama. Now the President of the vampyre hunter society will speak."

"Thank you." the woman stood with the stature of twelve pureblood vampyres. "It is in our records that Kaien Cross-san called me the day that the Kuran case was won and told us what had happened, which is exactly what Amara Kuran-sama described. While I was summoning and organizing help for the Kuran children, I got another call from Kaien Cross-san. He told me that Cho-san had been killed and that the assassins had found the kids, but that the daughter had killed them. That day I sent out fifteen vampyre hunters to escort them to the docks to be shipped to China so that they could stay there until everything was sorted out. They were ambushed by yet more assassins and killed. That is in the records that I hold. All fifteen bodies were recovered amongst no assassins."

Kaien stood now, too. "I talked to Kaname Kuran-sama on the phone after they were taken to China and told him that it was wisest if he came home to help the senate bring Amara Kuran-sama to light while she waited in China. She was only a little girl, and we all knew that she would have no chance in the senate, especially since she would not even be able to attend her trial. Ichio-sama tried subtly to have something more done but was unsuccessful. We kept vaguely in contact, fearing Shiki-sama would find out."

"While in France, Amara-sama had begun painting for the public and was quickly becoming famous. She then went to America, fearing, as she said, for the safety of the humans." the President said. "It is in our files. We kept a close eye on her."

Mike stood then, proud and tall above the senate. Everyone else sat down.

Without missing a beat, Mike continued.

"I never felt threatened by her. She never barred her fangs, used her powers, or even took charge. She was always kind to everyone. I could see the pain in her eyes whenever we spoke of parents. I could see her anger when war and killing was talked about. She never expressed or talked about these emotions. Only I could see this. She never looked like she thought she was innocent, but she never looked guilty. She never looked scared until the day that the assassin found her, and it was only for a split second. That day, she did everything in her power to keep her friends safe. That is why I am not dead today. She enjoyed every day as it came until then. She was not hiding. She was waiting for the senate to find her – she was waiting for the reassurance that the senate would be the one handling her case, not Shiki-sama. But she knew it would be an assassin from the senate, because Shiki-sama was using the senate to take down the one person who stood between him, money, and power over the senate. That is what he continues to attempt to do today. He had everything planned, even his false-death. If he had killed her himself, he would not be able to go on to rule the senate afterward. He framed her. Still, he had not realized that Amara would have so many people standing up for her. He had guessed that he would win. He will not. Her friends have cleared up every charge against her, and have exposed the real killer here."

"Beware, though: Shiki-sama will not be tried. He will not stop until he has succeeded." Kaname stood now. "There is a war to come. My sister has foreseen it." Kaname nailed Shiki right in the eye, and he glared back. He really looked like he wanted to kill him.

I wanted to cry with pride for my two men.

"I imagine that that is all of the evidence and testimonies we need? Must I even call a vote?" Ichio asked.

"No. We are decided." the woman from yesterday said. "Amara Kuran-sama is the victim. Guards, apprehend Shiki, his uncle-in-law, and his lawyer; we cannot allow attempts at murder, even against humans. We will debate along with Amara-sama the punishment for Shiki, and what will be done about what she has foreseen."

Ichio nodded once, a finalization. "Dismissed. Now the debating over Shiki-sama will begin."

Shiki was silent as the guards took him and his two followers out, but the lawyer babbled out excuses. The guards were grim. Everyone was grimly glaring at him, angry and ashamed: he had fooled them.

Mike, Kaname, and I sat back down. Mike took my hand. I was so grateful.

Now my head was throbbing for a different reason.

At least the senate would not be what killed me.

* * *

I hope it is not too terribly obvious that I do not know the first name of Senri's father, or any part of the name of his great uncle. :)


	20. My Small Amount of Rest

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Twenty_

My Small Amount of Rest

After sentencing Shiki-sama to death, my friends and I gathered in my room for a long time. We had many visitors who had seen my trial, and although I was happy that they cared I really just wanted to calm down for a while. Finally it was time to depart. Ichio wanted my brother and me in the senate, but we both opted to take a few days off . . . or until the war was over. The Night Class, the Headmaster, the prefects, and the two Day Class students returned to Cross Academy as the sunset.

"I think it would be unwise for us to stay here. The Day Class will soon be in danger if we stay," I told Kaien.

"Just for a few days, to recuperate and prepare for the future. Besides, Mike does need an education. He has not finished high school." he responded. He led us all into his office.

"But I do not want to risk anyone's life just so that I can finish." Mike said.

"Psh." Kaien waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "Well, what are you going to do if you go with Amara-chan? You cannot fight."

"It would be best for you if you stayed here." I said softly.

"I helped you in the senate and I can help you wherever else Shiki takes us." Mike looked at me firmly. He practically shouted what his real words were. I went very silent, my heart hammering.

"Where will we go, anyway?" Kain asked.

"The mansion. Amara will tell us about what resources we need and we will get them all together there." Kaname said.

"How long until we put everything into motion?" Ruka asked.

"It will not be long until Shiki breaks out." I took a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh. "I really am not sure what will happen."

"We are still with you." Aido said. "Always."

"This time, we will have even more people on our side." Ichijo assured me.

"And I am not going to leave you." Mike said. "No matter what, this is how it will be."

"If we aren't on this side, we are nothing." Zero declared.

"Seriously. The world has nothing to offer us but this." Aido said, shrugging.

I smiled, unable to help it. "Thank you."

Everyone crashed early except for me. I had been moved into my own room simply because Kaien knew I needed space. I did not have many things at all to move. Sitting on my bed, staring out of my window at the full moon, dressed in a button-up nightshirt and pants, I thought of my parents.

I heard a knock on my door and recognized it immediately. "Come in." I said, not moving.

Mike came in and closed the door behind him. "May I?" he asked and before I could answer he sat on my bed next to me.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I am alright."

"Hardly. You are crying." he said, and wiped my tears from my cheek gently.

I smiled. "I was thinking about my parents."

"I see."

I closed my eyes. "You know, I tried not to really hard, but I cannot help but think of you like them. Perhaps, what I feel for you is stronger. I know it is dangerous, but it seems that there is nothing I can do. If I lost you like I lost them, I would have nothing left to live for. Kaname can handle himself. I need for you to stay here."

Mike just looked at me for a long time, considering. He was thinking hard, I knew, but gave him privacy. His lips were pursed, as they did when this happened. He thought for so long that I allowed my eyes to fall to the bed, thinking that it was a comfortable silence to also think in.

Then he took my face between his hands and kissed me like he was afraid I was the one who was going to die. He kissed me so much I could not help but relax into him and even kiss him back. For the moment, my mind was in a rapturous haze, and all I could think about was Michelangelo. He must have realized that he had me at some point, because his kisses became more relaxed, also.

He pulled back sometime later, my arms still around his neck, and smiled at me.

"You cannot keep me away any longer. I am coming with you."

I did not argue. The future could not change, but perhaps it was different. All that I could do about it was hope.

* * *

I am not a big fan of this chapter for all of the fluff. I am especially against the 'damsel-in-distress' thing. :( But, hey: is it not a great chappie anyway? Lots of people like fluff. I liked fluff yesterday and the day that I wrote this chapter. Today is just . . . (shudders.) I can tell you this: whether you like fluff or you don't, you must keep reading. You will see my true specialty soon.


	21. Our Dream

_Book One, Chapter Twenty-One_

Our Dream

They managed to keep him under lock and key for four days. It was long enough for everyone to have gone two days to school. It was long enough for Kaname to introduce me to the entire Night Class, and get them all on my side. It was long enough for things to, perhaps, calm down a little. At least, for everyone but me.

It was a vampyre version of a night sweat. Was it not usually children whom they attacked? I was no child. Right?

I sat up in bed, tears streaming down my face. I had not slept at all since my visit to the senate. Nightmares of the future bombarded me every time I allowed my eyes to close even for a moment. Tonight rain battered my window, giving me the relaxation I had needed to drift to sleep. I now deeply regretted it.

I would not be able to go on like I was. Utterly exhausted, I rose from bed and went to my bathroom mirror. My intentions had been to use the water to cool my racing mind, but when I caught my reflection in the mirror I knew there was something else that had to be done.

I turned and ran.

Down the winding stairs and out onto the stone I traveled. Bare, my feet carried me faster through the pouring rain than any horse could. I could have gone faster but was far too tired. Lighting cracked overhead and thunder roared, but it made no difference: I was a pureblood. I was more silent than a turtle.

With my gifts I bent my Chi so that I was invisible and not tangible at all. I went right through the large front doors of the boys' Sun Dormitories. Again I ran up the steps, raced down the hall, and opened a door very slowly and quietly. I closed it behind me.

"Mike?" I whispered into the dark room.

I heard a rustling of sheets and a sigh.

I proceeded to crawl into the bed and wriggle under the covers. Mike pulled me near, feeling so warm compared to my cold nightclothes.

"I am wet. I apologize."

"No need." Mike assured me. "So, what is the matter?"

"My nightmares are too much to bear." I confided. "I just need to sleep without a prophesy, even a tiny one, for one night . . ."

Instantly as I said those words I fell back to sleep, but this time into a comforting blackness and eventually into Mike's dreams again.

***

_Our dream-selves were walking beside a moonlit pond, a mansion in the distance: mine. _

_"Nice setting." Mike commented. "I like what you have done with the place."_

_"Thank you." _

_"Is that your mansion?" _

_"Yes." _

_"I can't wait to see it. I know you aren't going to take me inside. You want me to see it for myself." _

_"That is correct." _

_"I can hear your thoughts." _

_"I can hear yours." I teased. _

_"Well, I am just saying that I know what you want." _

_"Really?" I challenged. _

_"Yep." Mike gave me a grin. With the hand that he was not using to hold mine, he waved. Out of the sparkling pond water rose a wooden swan paddleboat. _

_I laughed. "That is a lot cheesier than I had wanted." _

_Mike laughed, too. "Well, I have trouble breathing when I dream that I am swimming. It's scary." _

_"Ah, but you are with a pureblood vampyre. I am not going to let you drown, or even think you might drown." I grinned. "Come." I was already barefoot (It is not my belief that I was the one whose decision that was . . .) so I just stepped into the warm, tickly water. Mike's black shoes disappeared at his command and he followed me. We walked out until we were standing in the middle of the pond, beautiful creatures swimming by us or watching us curiously. I do not know whose imagination they came from, but I was in love with them. Mike took both of my hands, breathing deeply. _

_"See, you are alright. Have you ever noticed that you fly in your sleep much like you swim?" I asked._

_"Yeah, but I can never get very high." _

_I smiled, thinking of Mike's memories of flying dreams. I had never had a dream like that, myself. All of my dreams had been about the future somehow, in some part of the world. _

_"That is sad." Mike said in response to my pondering. _

_"We can fly now." I answered. "Just breathe easy. It will make our departure go more smoothly. And remember that we are under water, so if you break the surface it will be shocking how much harder it is to go up, but you have no limits." _

_"I have no limits." Mike shook his head, grinning. "This is too amazing." _

_"It is." I agreed. _

_"No place on earth is this vibrant and magical. I want to come here every night." _

_"We can create any place imaginable." _

_"We just feed off of one another's imagination until we have created an entire universe. We can do anything. We should defiantly write a book about our adventures." _

_I laughed. "It would be interesting to see how it would be perceived . . ." _

_"Come on!" Mike said, and launched himself through the water, me in tow. I imagined us going faster and faster. We curved and bounced from the sides of the pond and twisted and twirled through the water, marveling at the beauty. The creatures smiled and played with us, twirling in the ways that we did. _

_One of the smallest of them swam up to me, the closest one had gotten. I cuddled it. Suddenly time slowed down and there was no longer the need to go fast and experience great feats. All of a sudden I was absorbed in playing with this little pond-creature. I was unaware of time passing. Eventually the beautiful thing drifted off to sleep. _

_"There is more above water." Mike told me softly. There was something understanding in his voice that made me realize what had been going on. _

_I did not want to, but I used every inch of my willpower to create a mother to this tiny creature, and a father. They smiled at me and I handed the baby to them, regaining my sanity. _

_"I am sorry." I told Mike. "Like everyone else, I get lost in thought. It was selfish of me to drag you with me."_

_"No, I enjoyed it as much as you did." Mike admitted, blushing. _

_I wanted to get off of the subject sort of quickly. "Are you ready to try flying in air?" _

_"Of course." _

_I took Mike's right hand in my left, and we walked out further into the middle of the pond. I grinned at him reassuringly. "You will not come back down this time." I said. _

_"Good." _

_I bent my knees slightly, then leaped. Mike did the same simultaneously. We went further and faster than ever before. It was no time before we had pierced the surface and were hurtling into space. Stars flew past. Mike laughed. _

_I smiled adoringly. "Mike, look behind us." _

_Cautiously, he did just that. We both marveled at the world beneath us, and the huge moon. _

_"It's purple." Mike laughed. _

_I grinned. "That is the area we have not yet created." _

_"Hey, what is that sound? It's been getting louder." Mike asked._

_I shrugged. "I really do not want it to be, but it is probably your alarm clock. Let us ignore it. If you can manage to stay asleep that long, I would like to show you at least beyond this galaxy." _

_"Whoa. We can go that far?" Mike gawked at me. _

_"Better yet: because of my connections, I can show you a Solar Max without killing you. I can show you a dying star. I can take you farther than any scientist could ever dream of reasoning out. I can . . ." _

_Mike stared as I floated limply in space. Then there was the sound of an explosion, and my unconscious body jerked. Though we were defying gravity, I started falling back to earth faster than Mike could ever hope to fly. He screamed my name to no avail. The big roaring in my ears ended when I smacked into the unfinished planet with an extremely loud (and painful) _BOOM_!_

Mike snapped upright and immediately turned to me, shaking my shoulders. "Amara?" He saw no wounds on my body.

I sighed, sincerely wishing he would not continue to shake me so. My eyelids opened. Groggily I attempted to focus, but that required me to pull my eyes down so that I was not staring at the inside of my skull. Mike had stopped shaking me the moment my lips had parted; now he gawked. Unable to stop myself, my eyes closed again and my head rolled forward. A moan escaped my throat.

"Amara? Do I need to get Kaname?"

I found the strength and held my head up again. "Do not ever shake me like that again, please. I beg of you."

"Sorry. What happened?"

I stared into Mike's eyes for a moment. Then I hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder.

* * *

Uh, yes . . . so this chapter may be the one that truly deserves my apologies due to fluff. :D Well, I can promise you that I did not lie! I worded my last author's note very carefully, knowing the fluff would go on one more chapter. ;) Today I like fluff, though. So everyone else likes fluff today. Ha ha! Okay, until next time!

P. S. Only one person has made a suggestion as to what should happen, and her idea will be used in the sequel. There is still time for other ideas!


	22. My Mansion Fills

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Twenty-Two_

My Mansion Fills

"Kaname, let us in!" Mike banged on the classroom door.

We were soaking wet and in our pajamas. When my brother opened the door, he was a little confused. The students behind him were also in that state. The teacher was a little annoyed.

Kaname stared at the scene: Mike's arm around my waste, me clinging to him, hardly able to stand. I was too weak to even smile at my kin.

"Shiki has escaped from his confinements, and he is in a rage. We need to leave, now." Mike told him urgently.

"That was soon." Kaname blinked. "Come in, quickly." Kaname moved out of the way. Kain was already running his chair down to the first level. "Ruka, would you run get her some blood?"

Ruka nodded, and leaped out of her seat. While Mike helped me inside she ran out into the hallway and beyond. With Kain's help, Mike sat me down in his chair. There, I let my eyelids drift downward.

"It is a good thing she found you, Mike. How did she?" Ichijo asked. He had left his chair to hover around us.

"She came and found me because she was feeling warnings, then it hit her like the day in the Night Clan Great Hall." Mike lied.

"Should I get Headmaster?" the teacher, Hattori-sensei, asked.

"It would be nice." Kaname responded.

Hattori-sensei nodded and picked up the phone at his desk.

In my haze, going back and forth between consciousness and blackness, I searched for Mike's face. I saw his pajamas out of the corner of my eye, but could not exactly get my eyes to obey me. I loathed being a damsel.

"Are you alright?" Mike asked, moving so that he was looking me in the eyes. Worried, he turned to Kaname. "She would not die from this, right?" Things then went black again.

The next thing I knew I smelled blood. I knew I had to pry my eyes open so that my brother would not have to feed me again. Though I tried, it was difficult. In the end I opened them long enough to see the cup, then forced all of my energy to my hands and I took the cup and drank. My consciousness rebuilt quickly.

"I really despise when that happens." I grumbled.

"Yeah, I am beginning to despise it, too." Kaname said.

I sighed. "Shiki is one scary vampyre."

Mike laughed. "I was hoping I was not the only one who noticed."

I grinned at him shyly, then looked back at Kaname. "This is awkward." I confided. "I am sorry about the bad timing."

"It is not a problem." Kaname said. "Everyone here is with you."

I felt a wave of sorrow come from someone behind me. I slowly stood and turned. Mike moved out of my way so that I could approach the source of the strong emotion. Everyone watched the girl adorned in nightclothes closely. The source was a blank-faced girl sitting at her desk.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Rima, are you with me?"

"I am. I want Senri back." she assured me, but her voice was hard and fierce and determined.

I smiled.

"I know it is going to be difficult." Rima said. "I will not abide by it if Senri's body is hurt."

"I understand. I will not, either. Fortunately, Shiki is not one to risk dying."

"Yes."

Just then, Kaien raced into the room. "Amara! I heard you passed out! Are you okay now?"

"I am fine," I smiled. "Thank you for your concern."

"You saw Shiki escape? Where is he going?"

I grinned. "Here, of course, following building up his army. Which is why we need to leave tonight."

Everyone in the Night Class jumped to get ready. They swarmed back to their rooms and packed the necessary items, including only what clothes they would obviously need. We rented a charter bus (yes, at that time of night . . . the Night Class was very famous) and loaded even the vampyre teachers onto it. I saw that the students were all very ready for the challenge I presented to them. I had ever had anything less to live with. I never lived what normal vampyre teens lived. I was truthfully much younger than them. But I saw that they really believed that there was no better path. However, they did not join me recklessly. They had thought it over. All were wise, mature people.

Vampyres: I thought they were cruel and heartless beings; I saw that wisdom was one of their props. Especially this young group. What was the difference between them and their parents?

Vampyre history, that is what. These teens were not going to let it repeat itself.

They had come to Cross Academy for a reason: to follow my brother.

Kaname was going to stay behind to wait until Yuki and Zero had awoken. He would bring them then. Kaien would also come then, leaving the school in the care of the Day Class teachers. I would go on with Mike and the Night Class students to the mansion.

Each student had called his or her parents (if they knew that they were pacifists) and explained to them what was going on. Some adults were planning on coming to the mansion and were prepared to fight. Kaien had contacted the President of the vampyre hunter society, and she was going to put together a team to protect the school as well as send some to join us at the mansion. Those coming to the mansion would be bringing plenty of vampyre hunter guns.

The number of assassins Shiki had under his control was unknown, but bound to be numerous. It would take him two weeks to have everything ready, but he would not be too careful and dilly-dally because he knew that any moment the Assassins of the Senate would pick up his trail. I did not urge anyone to rush, and I wanted them to be precise. I knew what Shiki was doing. I wanted to make sure that we were a step ahead.

Mike was amazed by the Kuran mansion . . . mystified by it. Both and night and during the day we went outside and walked amongst the overgrown flowers. I showed him more and more rooms and told him about what used to happen inside of them. We turned into mostly-nocturnal creatures. I could not wait for the war to end. Then Mike and I would live in the mansion for the rest of our lives. I was sure of it.

Some adults did come. The Aidos, Ichio, and the Kains worked with the senate to build an army of assassins before they arrived. The vampyre hunters were stationed three days before due at the school, and the ones that brought us guns arrived a week in advance.

No one was allowed in the master bedroom or the library and there was no way to accommodate even one teenager in my nursery. Kaname and Ichijo paired up in his old room, with Kain on the couch. This was for no reason except that they were really good friends and Kaname, not knowing the things that made me paler with each passing day, wanted to think that he was planning battle strategies with them. Many people paired up for no reason except for emotions, such as Ruka and Rima. Mike and I shared a room rather secretively. There were luxurious rooms like ours and there were rooms in servants' quarters that had not been used in fourteen years (yes, some moved out at my birth.) People like Ichio, Kaien, Aido's parents, his aunt and uncle, Hattori-sensei and every vampyre hunter got fancy rooms like ours, also, being as they were older (at least in a sense) than the teenage students.

Having been the ruling family at one point, our mansion did have enough rooms to accommodate everyone.

Even a huge castle such as ours would not house as many antsy people as there were. Time was drawing near. I was getting really scared for Mike, and tension between my brother and me was growing.

"I think we should send Yuki and Mike to the school." Kaname told me one beautiful twilight, dragging me out of the house to the garden so that we could speak in private.

"Agreed." I allowed, but Kaname saw that there was something I was not saying.

"What is it?" Kaname asked harshly, for he was the same as me in that we did not mess around when it came to the ones we loved.

"How can you refuse her this opportunity to learn of her abilities? My brother, she is so gifted! She is suffering, not being able to know her true potential."

"I know that. Of course I know that. But this is not the right time."

"It _is _time." I said before I knew what I was saying, then every muscle in my body squeezed as if cramping up, and I sucked in air for a long time until it eased up.

Kaname was staring at me in horror. "Amara, tell me what happens to my Yuki."

I grinned. He knew I could not. "They both are horribly gifted, Kaname. There is nothing that neither you nor I can do to stop them from standing beside us."

"Yuki is different from Mike." Kaname growled. "Even skilled vampyre hunters fall when faced with purebloods."

"That is not all that she will be." Though I was smiling, I spoke through gritted teeth as my stomach and lungs compressed themselves.

Kaname shook his head. He was so furious he did not know what to do. He knew it was not me he was angry at, and he longed to be angry at something. In a flourish he whirled around and stomped back to the mansion, leaving me in the garden.

***

"Does it bother you are much as it bothers me?" Yuki asked Mike after dragging him to the window to gaze upon the Kuran siblings as they quarreled in the garden that twilight.

"Yes." Mike admitted.

"You know they are fighting over us."

"Yes."

Yuki turned to Mike from the window. "Do you think Amara feels threatened by me somehow?"

"No. Why?"

Yuki shrugged. "She looks like she likes me, but it is almost like she is keeping a distance from me on purpose. There is something apprehensive in her eyes when she looks at me."

"She is just giving you and Kaname space, probably. She knows things about people that they don't even know." Mike assured her.

"Kaname is the same way with you." Yuki pointed out.

Mike grinned slightly. "I know."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"Not really. Kaname and Amara are very strange creatures, the only of their kinds. Everything they do has a double meaning. You and I will find out why they do the things they do in time."

"I don't like waiting." Yuki sighed. "And I don't like seeing Kaname this way. He is so _serious_. Even around me, now. He used to be more carefree and happy, if only with me."

"These are serious times."

"I don't want to go to the school." Yuki said defiantly.

"Neither do I. We won't go. But this is way above our heads. Kaname and Amara know things we don't."

"I know. And I'm scared. But they think we can't handle whatever is coming: they're wrong. I'll stick by him no matter what. I trust him." Yuki clenched her fists, staring determinedly out of the window as Kaname approached the house.

Mike sighed. "I feel the same."


	23. Our Preparation

In response to a review: this story happens immediately after _Vampire Knight_ six. When the idea for this story came into my head, I was unaware of any events happening afterward and of any facts such as Senri Shiki's father's name. I especially did not know that he was a Kuran. I did not even know that Senri Shiki was a model. Now I know far too much. Anyhow, this entire story I built knowing only what the first six volumes told us -- and believe me when I say that I memorized them, missing not one detail that would make my story unfactual in any way. I wanted the readers to be able to believe that what I wrote really could happen in volume seven.

In reguards to Senri's Shiki's father's name: Assuming my fanbase would speak English, I thought that no one would mind if, when addressing Senri Shiki's father, I used Senri's last name for his father's last name. That may not be how it works in Japan, but it works for people who speak English. The father's last name becomes the last name of his wife and children. Not knowing Senri Shiki's father's name was no problem for me -- it is proper in Japan to use last names without first names. So, this is how the names go in my story: Senri Shiki is commonly addressed as "Senri" (his first name, of course, being what only friends call him; I make it clear that, when Senri is in a formal situation, he is called "Senri Shiki" so there is no confusion) and his father is always addressed as "Shiki-sama."

I hope this clears everything up.

* * *

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Twenty-Three_

Our Preparation

"I don't want to do this." Yuki whispered to Kaname. She held tight to him.

"No one wants to do this, but it is what must happen." Kaname told her, hugging her back. "You must understand. I would not be able to fight if I had you to worry over."

"But you wouldn't have to worry over me! I know how to use the Bloody Rose Gun and the Artemis Rod! I am pretty fearless! Let me fend for myself!"

Though I had taken Mike a ways away from Kaname and Yuki's departure scene, I could still hear it loud and clear. My heart screamed at me. This was what was supposed to happen. But what if I had been able to stop it somehow?

Mike took both of my hands. He was silent. I knew he was upset with me.

"I have decided recently that you know what you are doing, and I trust you with everything I've got." Mike told me quietly.

I sighed. This was the last place I wanted to be! "I will be seeing you soon." I said simply, and let his hands drop.

I turned very suddenly then and went back to the waiting limo. After nodded once at Zero -- who would be guarding Kaname's and my beloveds -- I got in and did not look back.

***

I sat with Kaname in his and Ichijo's room, my eyes closed, working over every detail of the prophesy again. I had already found that it would be necessary to lead the armies away from the mansion and the garden, and that would account for an early departure on our part. Kaname stared out of the window. Kain and Ichijo lounged on the couch. Aido paced around the room. Seiren leaned against a wall.

"How is it going?" Aido asked.

"Not well." I answered through stiff lips and a strained jaw.

"Have you seen anything new?"

"No."

"How many times have you looked over the prophesy?"

"Countless since I had it, but three times today. I am looking so closely that it each time takes a while."

"Yeah. . . . So what does it look like?"

"I cannot tell you that. It would mess up the balance."

"Is it scary, like watching a horror movie?"

"You have the gist of it."

"Is it in red? Are people dying?"

I was about to reply but I did not want the pain. I stopped myself, then sighed. "I cannot answer you."

"I am not much of a fighter. Will I be in the battle? I really think I should just wait in the house."

"With your gifts? You will be a natural." I assured him, laughing to myself.

"Hanabusa, please let her concentrate." Kain said.

Aido went quiet and continued to pace.

I sighed and opened my eyes. Kaname turned to me. "Have you come up with a plan?"

I knew the underlying question and proceeded to glare at my brother. "Of course. The vampyre hunters and assassins will lead us. I will go straight for Shiki, with you to back me up, since killing me is his main priority. Everyone else will handle the assassins. Likely, all that can will be after me to hold me still while Shiki finishes me off."

"What do you plan to do to him?" Kaname asked.

The question nearly brought tears to my eyes. "I . . . I do not know what I am to do. It would not be right to use my abilities."

"He will be using his." Kaname said.

"I know, and even though it is an incredible strength I am still at the advantage. It would not be fair if I . . ."

"Whatever you do, it must be final. Remember what he did to our parents."

"I know what he did. I do not have to remember." I snapped. "Just help me figure out what is the just thing to do."

"Keep him from taking over the senate."

"Well, I could free all of the assassins from his grasp and put a block on his mind to keep him from taking any of our own. That way, at least the assassins are not going to be as bloodthirsty as Shiki had wanted them to be. Our goal is to capture them, not kill them, and this will help."

"If they want to kill us, we have to kill them. They will behave like soldiers, not normal assassins." Kain said.

"Yes, and if all you focused on was capturing them then many on our side would fall, and we cannot have that. But these assassins followed Shiki without their own will. They used to be just like the assassins the senate has sent to help us." I stated strongly. "Once I release them from their hold, they might remember what Shiki has convinced them and if that is so then they might still want to fight us. But those who are hesitant must only be apprehended."

"I agree." Ichijo said slowly. "But aren't most of them heartless?"

"That is correct, but they have families, do they not?"

"True."

"What about Shiki, Amara?" Kaname asked impatiently.

"Then I could hold Shiki still, I suppose, and take his heart out. That seems to be the only way to kill a pureblood: make sure that the heart cannot reattach to his body."

"You are forgetting that we need to save Senri." Kaname pointed out.

I winced. "Yes. That is bad." I thought for a long time, then continued. "Then I will hold him still with my mind, and free the assassins from Shiki's mind control (because that can not be contested and I cannot hold them because then there would be no way for me to kill the ones who have good hearts and free the ones who do not – there will be no way to tell them apart, and honestly I doubt that I can hold that many for as long as it will take) so that they can be taken care of by everyone else. Then Kaname and I will leave with his body and I will read his mind to find his body, then force his soul out of his son's body and back into his own. Then I will take the heart from his body and again destroy it."

"That is a much better plan." Kaname said.

"Yeah. I guess it is the best we can do." Aido said.

"Think: what would you do if you weren't super gifted?" Ichijo exclaimed.

"This would not be happening." I replied. Everyone got very silent.

So the night came. Everyone bustled about. The air was thick. There was a soft blanket of snow coating the ground. Assassins ran for their various weapons or prepared themselves and their special abilities. Vampyre Hunters tended to their guns. The Night Class wielded weapons and special abilities of their own. Kaname, Ichio and I, after explaining the orders to everyone, sat in Kaname's room silently.

Finally Ichio spoke. "There is obviously something that needs to be said between you two, so I am going to go see about the Night Class." He got up and left.

Kaname sighed as soon as we heard Ichio's footfalls go silent, and sat next to me on his bed. "You know something bad is going to happen."

"I have known since that day you left me at the orphanage."

I felt hate in my brother's heart. I had felt it growing there since I was very little, and our parents had just begun to further understand the strain my gifts were putting on us all, especially from the senate. I had always tried to be delicate with him, tried to slow down its progression. When he met Yuki, it was forced into another part of his brain where he could not reason using the memories I had given him. There, it had festered, fueled by emotion. He had been unconscious of it until tonight. He had not known that it was me whom he hated. For ruining his life.

"I heard you screaming Mike's name in your sleep. I heard you sobbing." Kaname told me lowly.

"I know. I heard you, too. I wished you would come in so badly."

Kaname's eyes were so cold. If I failed and Yuki was hurt, he would wish to kill me himself. In the blows he would implant on me, he would unleash all of his emotions. And I would die slowly and painfully.

My brother shook his head slowly, and left. I did not cry over my brother. I had no more tears to cry.

An hour later Ruka and Rima found me and got me dressed in a new kimono shipped to us the day before from my personal designer. When I looked in the mirror I saw a goddess. When I looked into her eyes I saw emptiness. We walked out of the mansion; the last ones out. Ruka and Rima departed and stood at the back of the army. I continued toward the front line. When the army of Shiki saw us, they formed attack formation instead of circling the mansion. Shiki rode behind them in a limousine.


	24. Our Army and Shiki's Secret

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Twenty-Four_

Our Army & Shiki's Secret

The full moon was huge and yet still white in the sky. Stars around it sparkled like diamonds.

Again I was warned by the Higher Being of what was to come. For the first time, however, It/She/He did not nock me off of my feet. The warning came with a wave of energy that lifted me off of the ground for a second. I embraced it; it was warm and familiar, like a summer breeze.

Even though I had not passed out, I was even more scared from my warnings than usual. I was completely terrified.

_It does not end here. _

The Higher Being's whisper was as real to me and only me as my prophecies.

It lifted me as much as it scared me.

The army stopped a quarter mile away from us. There had to have been over five hundred assassins, which towered our fifty assassins (fifty-one counting Seiren, who was more like a bodyguard), fifty vampyre hunters (fifty-one counting Kaien, the retired), twelve adult vampyres, and eighty-six Night Class students. (Because I know you are wondering, of course plenty of people paired up for the sleeping arrangements!) The limo drove into the middle of the army and stopped. The nearest assassins helped Shiki out, and helped him onto the limo's roof.

"Amara Kuran. I knew you would be prepared. Though I understand it was necessary, it was a stupid thing of you to announce your power to the senate while telling your story. If you hadn't, I would not have been prepared for your preparedness." Shiki said, grinning.

An assassin took out of the limo sat on the top a blindfolded, gagged, and chained Yuki. Her cheeks were wet, but her lips were firm around her gag. Then he did the same to Mike, who was in a similar condition. Last was Zero, who was drugged and unconscious. I took faith in knowing that he had fought his best fight to protect his friends.

I felt Kaname's hate, fear, and anger spike.

"What do you want, Shiki?" I called.

"I want you to approach me slowly and kneel at my feet. If any soul moves in your army, everyone in mine will launch at you and the friends I have chained here. There are so many that you will not be able to handle them all in time. Your friends will be dead. You will be dead. There will no longer be a fight."

"I see." I said. I knew he was going to kill my friends anyway. I knew he had hurt them a lot already. Still I knew I had to buy time. One foot in front of the other, I walked toward the limo. The assassins parted for me, but closed the gap quickly behind me.

When I got to the circle in the middle of the army, I sat on my knees, everything else in standing position. I would not let him think I was surrendering. I was merely sacrificing myself. Surely something would happen to get me out of this pickle – was that not what the Higher Being was saying? Or was It/He/She saying that there was more to come after I died? At least, I knew from my prophesy that there would be plenty of more pain to come after this. So really I was simply buying time. Nothing else. I was still queen, and in comparison he was still a street rat. Even though he was a pureblood.

I was more than just a pureblood.

"You know to take out my heart. That is the only way to kill me." I told him roguishly, but with dignity, pride, and fury.

"You have learned such little respect." Shiki snarled.

"Power-hungry murderers who would kill a little girl are the lowest of low in my opinion, rivaled only by rapists."

"Such dishonor! You sit here on your knees, attempting to give your life for your human _pet_," he spat the word, "and you criticize me."

"Not criticize. Of course I have respect for your drive for power. I am simply ridiculing your methods." I may have been looking up at him, my kimono in the dirt, kneeling in front of the limo on which Shiki stood, but I could have been glaring down at him from the heavens.

Meanwhile I was releasing his men from his control, row by row gently loosening the strings that bound them to him. It was easier than calming all of their minds and only required a little amount of focus and strength, whereas if I had tried to control all of them it would have been almost impossible and my body would have been defenselessly limp on the ground. It was like cutting strings, fifty at a time, as compared to painting thick glue onto each of them one at a time. I heard no disturbance in the crowd and saw no look of realization on Shiki's face.

"Come up here." Shiki said, nodding upward.

I rose and then leapt onto the limo beside him. I was so close to Mike now. I sensed his heart beating wildly. Yuki's was doing the same. If only they had seen how steadily I met Shiki's gaze. I sensed everyone in my army was watching me carefully . . . and fearfully.

"Kneel on the other end of the limo so that your friends can see you."

I walked from the front to the back of the limo and kneeled the same way I had before: only my knees bent.

Though I was frantic inside me, I restrained myself. I could make no moves until, above all odds, I got Yuki, Mike, and Zero to safety.

"I think I should make your death as spectacular as you made mine. I want you to look better going down than a horror movie. I want it to be as eye-boggling as mine. But, to make my dream come true, you must tell me how to do that."

"Watch me kill your parents, then develop extra powers." I told him.

"How about I just drink your blood instead? Hmm? That sounds like much more fun on my part." Shiki chuckled at me. Then he knelt down on one knee and took my face between his hands. "Such a pretty little urchin." Then his teeth went for my throat.

_Sheesh, are you really gonna let him do that? You are about as useless as Yuki is some days. _

I could have cried. _You just say that because you sense that she has more powers than you and she doesn't know to use them._

_Yeah well she's small, too._

I silenced the assassins surrounding us. Over Shiki's shoulder (he was licking my neck at this point) I saw Zero sit up awkwardly so that he could get at an angle where Yuki could untie his hands. She did so feverishly. Zero yanked off his gag and blindfold and then untied his feet. The assassins could not warn Shiki. The closest ones could not even move, and the others could not get around the frozen ones quickly enough. Zero swiftly untied Mike and Yuki, and they all stood. Without hesitation Zero yanked up Yuki's skirt and grabbed the Artemis Rod from its halter. He snapped it open in a second. I suppose his Bloody Rose Gun had been confiscated.

Now I wanted to cry for a different reason.

_What do I do now?! _Zero screamed in his head.

At hearing the commotion from inside the limo or from feeling the slight shakes, Shiki's slightly cowardice uncle-in-law exited the limo.

I stood just before Shiki could pierce my skin. "Ungrateful pervert. You are lucky I have hesitated to do this." I knew it was unfair – and I had actually looked forward to showing off my fighting skills – but I severed the connection between his soul and his Chi. He no longer had control over his body. Then I found something surprising.

"I was going to attack you. I wasn't actually gonna bite you. He's not actually stupid enough to give all of your power to my body. He was going to nearly kill you and make Kaname-sama watch for the heck of it, then take you back to his body when all of the confusion of the war began and give it your power instead."

"That does seem like a smarter plan. Now, I need your assistance. He is still in you. We have to get you to his body. And we have to save Zero, Mike, and Yuki."

Senri nodded once. "I hear him. Let's go."

Bullets began to wiz by us.

"Attack!" I screamed. Kaname, now equipped with a magical sword, was right behind them and quickly speeding ahead; tearing up vampyres was not his priority.

I was the main target. Senri and I spun and leaped in an attempt to avoid the bullets. I really could not tell whether or not we were successful. We ran for the other side of the limp, where Zero was kicking and jabbing the Artemis Rod at assassins in an attempt to keep them at bay, but it was not working. The next thing I knew Senri had bitten his finger, and flung the blood at those who were climbing onto the limo. It was exploding and burning the people it touched. Then he went down into a crouch and kicked some assassins' heads so hard that I heard them crack. Meanwhile I was taking legs and arms and whole lower bodies from men who had climbed onto the limo from the back. One of the things I did in China (with persuasion) was learn how to fight ten different ways.

Yes, we were stuck. And the humans were scarcely being defended against flying bullets. Luckily, vampyre bullets were rendered useless against them.

Thank goodness Zero got his hands on a vampyre gun and was shooting like a mad man. I had known his teacher. Zero could shoot better than him, now. Zero tossed Yuki the Artemis Rod and as if she had been doing it her whole life she wielded it, strong and determined. She twirled it and fought with her entire body, graceful and balanced beyond her years. Some sort of flood gate had opened inside of her: she realized that she was a good fighter. She used the rod to keep bullets from Zero.

They were coming in far too fast now; so many men strived to have their bullets end me that they ended up shooting whichever of their comrades that got in their way. Our army was getting held back as the enemy progressed toward the house. It was a sea of bullets and screaming. The vampyre hunters hung back, relying on their guns. The vampyres savagely tore into one another, looking for the next kill. The Night Class students relied heavily on their plentiful gifts to take four or five assassins down at a time.

Zero got hit three times. Senri was grazed twice. I was somehow agile enough that none hit me. Zero was in enough pain that I used most of my strength to manipulate his Chi until he was impermeable. He must have realized his advantage and rose again, this time executing no caution as he blasted and fought.

I hated all of the fighting and killing around us. I wanted to ball up in a ball and scream. It was so now that Mike was the only one unable to fight in all that was going on.

Senri entangled men in webs of his blood and killed them. I used my appendages as knives and sliced men clean in half. Meanwhile, my kimono suffered none.

The cavalry arrived when a thick arrow-shaped formation of our vampyres and vampyre hunters, headed by Kaname, tore through the mass of enemy assassins who were all focusing on me and practically pushed them aside.

"God, this roof is not wide enough!" Zero growled.

I sensed a flair of anger in Senri's great uncle. Before I could even whip around from the assassin who had just climbed onto the limo and was engaging me in hand-to-hand combat, Mike screamed. When I looked, my heart went cold and the world was silent.

Zero, Yuki, and Senri were engrossed, fighting dozens of assassins at a time. Kaname and various others had the left side of the limo, but the right, back, and front were under heavy attack. Our army had pierced through only half of Shiki's, and although the arrow was slowly widening it was not doing so quickly enough. We could not take to the ground; we had to man the roof because if we were to join Kaname to our left then whoever leaped onto the roof would have the sky as an ally. We were stuck. And Mike was being dragged off of the roof by his foot.

His screaming quaked the Earth. I smelled his blood. Of course I knew it was a trap, but I fell into it gladly. I immediately leapt into the air and came down hard on Senri's great uncle's face, but he was older and taller than me. I fell back onto the roof of the limo and slid to the ground, to be instantly ambushed by assassins. I needed to get Mike back onto the roof fast!

The assassin on the roof whom I had just been fighting now slammed his heavy boot into my skull. Dazed, I slumped back against the limo only to have the nearest assassin rush into me, thrusting his hand into my stomach. My arms prevented him from impaling me any higher. I did not scream. Mike screamed.

"Die!" I shouted, thrusting my hand through the man's neck. It was like cutting cheese and his head fell backwards. I then yanked his hand from my flesh. This took an instant. Then I was focusing on Mike.

The only man there idiotic enough to wear a suit was Shiki's uncle-in-law. He was dragging the love of my life through the crowd, attempting to make me follow so that I could be captured. I bounded back onto the roof, where the man I had been fighting was now giving Yuki a hard time (she was handling him like it was effortless!), and planted my feet hard into the rounded edge. This threw me through the air. Like had been done to Cho, I grabbed the great uncle's head and twisted it off. I loved the irony as I used the momentum of my flight to hurl the head into the crowd of assassins. As a result some of them cried out. His body crumpled and Mike released himself from the corpse's clutches.

A normal roundhouse kick I used to slice three men in half. I kept twirling until I was not a hair away from Mike, looking up at him as my hand shot out and ripped the heart out of an assassin whose gun was aimed at me.

"Hold me," I told him.

He looked über-confused, but he did it. He picked me up. Not before he had me securely in his arms, my head rolled back.

My energy exploded out around us, giving us an impenetrable circle to move in. The assassins were flung backward around us. Mike could guess what he was supposed to do now. He ran like he was being chased by the devil himself, knocking assassins effortlessly aside until he got to the limo. He jumped onto the roof using only the running board and then held me in standing position while my Chi (or my soul; whichever) returned to me.

It was now so that assassins had to climb over their comrades' bodies to get to the limo. Zero's gun was doing wonders. The arrow was coming around, almost haven taken out half of the enemy. The abilities on our side were outstanding. Kain was burning assassins like wildfire. Aido was fighting on ice, giving him and our army around him the advantage. The assassins had a few of their own, but it seemed that the majority of Shiki's army were simply humans he had picked off of the street.

I kept my eye out for Level E's.

My brother, Seiren, and Zero were the most awe-worthy of them all. Kaname moved so fast I could scarcely see him. He did not have a line of men waiting to have enough room to attack; he plowed through un-expecting men who did not think it would be their turn anytime soon. Zero blasted and kicked and sliced five at a time. Seiren was a bloodthirsty killer from birth, and stronger than two men combined. Though not as fast as Kaname with his enhanced abilities, she was agile and precise and the third fastest of all of us.

I had wanted to spare some people, but that was not happening today.

Mike behind me, I worked around him like I was trying to be a circular wall surrounding him. Because of this I was getting hit left and right. Mike was too scared to do anything but watch, probably thinking he would get in my way. I was also bloodthirsty. I wanted no weaknesses.

"Down!" I cried. Mike sat on the roof with his knees pulled to his chest. The next thing he knew, my foot whistled over him, slicing six men at the thighs. They were wounded, but they weren't down. Their hands tried to finish Mike, but I finished them. One by one their hearts exploded inside their chests.

It occurred to me then that it was a good thing that the assassins were not purebloods, because most of them would be able to regenerate with time . . . assuming their lost parts were not completely demolished.

We needed to carry on the tip of the arrow. I saw Kaname making his way to the front of the car. When he got to the edge, we had to slice a point into the crowd. My heart roared like a mouse's hum in my chest. How was that to happen without me using my abilities?

A man came at me from the back, a gun in his hand. Another had launched him into the air. The man I was fighting held my neck so that I could not turn in time to save myself. I saw the flash of the gun.

"Raaaaaaah!" Mike sprang up, forcing his hands at the assassin as if to push him backward. His momentum proceeded the assassin's, which was incredible. But Mike was not faster. He was simply an unstoppable force in that move. Without touching him, there was a flash and Mike had sent the assassin rocketing backwards.

I gawked.

There was one blast, then another. I was able to dodge one (it disintegrated against Mike's human flesh) but the other lodged itself in my rib, right beside my spine. I angrily yanked the bullet from my bone and flung it at the face of the man whose hands squeezed my airways shut. It cracked his forehead at the same time my foot kicked his feet out from under him. I avoided a blow by ducking to rip his heart out. I quickly slid his body to the right, on top of yet more assassins. Then I jumped back upright and pushed a man's head off by slamming the palm of my hand forward and up into his jaw.

We (Zero, Yuki, Mike and I) were quickly being overpowered, despite Mike's newfound affinity over momentum and force.

I had told you he was smart, had I not? Well, he was also a little more evolved than most humans in the way of his mind.

A hand ripped through the roof right then and grabbed my ankle. I nearly squealed. Then I was swiftly going downward, the shards of roof cutting into my bare flesh the entire way. Now my leg was in the limo and the rest of me was not. I felt a tongue against my bleeding flesh.

"Oh shit." I froze with fear.

The man's heart exploded and he crumpled inside the limo at the same time that Mike came at the assassins attacking my head and pulling at my other foot from an angle, shoving all of them off of the roof.

Mike turned back to me. I dug my hands in beside my leg and ripped it open wider. Then Mike took my hands and lifted me back through the hole. Furious, I made the man in the limo explode. The ones trying to follow him quickly abandoned the mission.

In one second I let my body fall into Mike's arms and forced a triangle of assassins outward and then returned to standing position. Mike and I bounded into the triangle, not allowing it to reclose. I screamed at everyone surrounding the vehicle that it was going to explode, and sure enough the instant everyone had jumped off and away I had abandoned my body again to contain the exploding limo, set off by an ingenious assassin with the power to spit on things and make them blow up. I was back again shortly, but not in time to relieve Mike of my weight before he was attacked by an onslaught of assassins.

Now my human was heading the arrow. I would not have it.

_Kaname, everyone, to the tip: NOW!_

Mike acted like was a new man. He must have watched a lot of samurai movies before he came. His battle cry only rivaled mine. He moved to karate chop an assassin's neck: he blew through four necks. He twisted around to kick someone in the stomach: the assassin barreled back into three of his comrades, all of them with gaping holes in their stomachs.

Everyone started pouring into the triangle and we actually started enlarging it. Many assassins started running for the mountains. Mike was starting to literally blast holes in the crowd. Aido began freezing ten people at a time for Kain to torch. Kaname, Seiren, and I were at the very tip and we steadily led the arrow. The assassins fought us on all of the edges, but we were cutting them down fast. We were not defensive. We were offensive.

Yuki began shrieking when assassins began grabbing at her limbs, but it was swiftly taken care of by Mike, who had learned that he could control who his abilities affected. When I was again shot in the back – this time the bullet came out the other side, piercing through my lungs – Mike was the one who came to the rescue. The human made a fist and punched, and the force of it snapped the vampyre's head off. Then he was mirroring my own moves, kicking and punching his way through anyone who came near. Bullets kept flying, but none could touch me; Mike was showing more strength and skill than any basketball or soccer player ever could.

I gave him a smile, clutching the hole in my chest. "Thanks," I mouthed.

Mike grinned. "Welcome."

He took my other hand and helped me to my feet. Within a minute I was healed, and thirty seconds before that I was at it again, working back-to-back with Mike. When he was needed again, it practically only took a thought for him to be beside Zero, brimming with energy.

We all fit nicely on the outside, but there were many of us on the inside of the formation that caught those that snuck by the edges. No one had to fight more than one person now.

Slowly I felt something emerge behind me. An evil. I turned to Senri. "Are you alright?"

But it was no longer Senri. Shiki had won over his body once again. He let out a battle cry and came at me. No one had expected it and was position to help. Now I was surrounded by assassins and they were suddenly all holding onto me. This is what Shiki had wanted. He grinned at me.

Then suddenly Mike came under his control. He walked toward us, his eyes glazed over. I could not believe it. I screamed at him to run and struggled against the men who held me, but all of Shiki's strength was going into controlling Mike this time. It was almost impossible to free him. Mike stood next to Shiki, facing him.

"I will teach you respect." Shiki said.

And there he killed Mike, right in front of my eyes. I could not respond fast enough.


	25. My Michelangelo

The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

_Book One, Chapter Twenty-Five_

My Michelangelo

My instinct was to kill him, but something stopped me. The Higher Being. I froze Shiki, forming a block in his mind. This time I allowed neither Shiki nor Senri through. He fell to the ground.

One of the men's hands tore through my body. I screamed in agony. Then I made the man recoil his arms and made all of the rest of them back off and let me go. I was so torn I could not think straight. Kain quickly made his way to me. The men all erupted in flames.

Tears streamed down my face. I stood stock still for a few seconds, just crying silently while Kain held men off. I felt Kaname notice what was going on and I knew he was trying to reach me, but it was too late.

A horrible scream erupted from my mouth, strong enough to make my head fly back. It was not a scream made in my larynx. It was a scream made in my soul. My eyes closed, my fists clenched, my feed braced. Wind whipped about so violently that it took my hair from its holder and shook it from its braiding, and yet it did not touch our army. Clouds formed overhead and lightning struck. The Earth shook. One by one, even those who fled began suffering the same fate Shiki had that night, only this time I did not skip over turning their hearts to ashes. They were both imploding and exploding. They were both frostbitten and burning. Their muscles constricted and their bones grew. Their flesh ripped apart and dripped from their bodies. The liquid inside of them was squeezed out through all available holes. They were screaming like a drowning maniac. They were choking on their blood; I left their lungs intact. Their hair was lifting itself out by its roots. Their eyes were pushing themselves out. Their joints unhinged themselves. Their blood vessels were protruding from their skin in places. Their nerves tore through their skin.

I did not think about who deserved it and who did not. The Higher Being guided my abilities like a mother duck guides her ducklings across a pond.

I am not sure to this day how long it lasted. No amount of time could release the pain I felt. After all of the enemy stopped screaming, there was only my scream and the things it produced. It would not stop. I wished so badly for it to kill me.

As before, Kaname eventually wrapped his arms around me from behind. This time, however, it would not calm me. Our army stared at the beauty and horror. Yuki hugged me, too. Zero also approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. He looked touched enough to cry. Ichijo ran to me, crying along with Aido. Kain was grim. Ruka, Rima, and Seiren also walked slowly toward the girl whose scream carried on even then. These things I only vaguely sensed. Then Kaien hugged me from the side and kissed my cheek.

"Shh, shh." he said, but was unable to say anything else.

That broke my scream into screaming sobs. I fell to my knees. The clouds gave way to rain. The wind slowly died down. The Earth rumbled only comfortingly. My hands went limp at my sides.

Kaname paused, unable to think of anything that would help his sister. He just stroked my hair. I guessed that it was dawning on him that he had no reason to hate me. I had known Yuki would not be harmed. I had known she would prove to be an incredible vampyre hunter. I had known Mike would take the fall. This was the pain I had foreseen. I told my brother these things with my mind. I chanted them. It was all I could do.

_Oh, Amara, _he thought over and over. _I am so, so sorry._

It seemed that I would never stop sobbing. I would not open my eyes. I was so weak. If I saw Mike's body, I might have died.

Mike was gone. He had left. He was dead. He could never come back. The door to the dead was closed to me. Even I would never see him again. I had taken that man from his loving family and I had gotten him killed! He had fought beside me, and I had let him die! I was such a baby that I could not control Shiki – he was standing right in front of me and I knew I would not be able to break Mike free, so why had I not done it sooner! Oh, what was worse: I had known he would be used as a decoy against me and I had sent him to school anyhow! I was so wrong. I thought it would be best that way; that I would be able to slice into the heart of the army if I was invited to the limo as I was. I just . . . Shiki killed him. He was gone. It was my fault. It was because I was alive. Just like my parents. Michelangelo Thomson died just like my parents, for the same reason they died. Only that we were surrounded by two armies this time. That was the only difference. Again, I was rendered useless to watch him die. That was the same. It was the same. My Michelangelo was dead.

I could not believe it.

I wanted to die, too.

Kaname sighed and pursed his lips, pulling his eyebrows close together in thought. He shook his head. Then he lifted my hair aside and whispered really quietly in my ear. "Bite him."

My heart was dead, and it felt like someone had shot me when he said that. "What?" I squeaked. In his condition, Mike's body would surely reject the change. At the very least, I was too late!

Kaname nodded once. He stood. Slowly, everyone else around me stood and backed away, clearing a path between Mike and me.

Oh, I could not look at him! How beautiful he was. How trusting his eyes were. His face was frozen that way, like at the last moment he realized what was going on and had decided he trusted me. But the wounds I had allowed to be bestowed upon him! A small knife still stuck out from his heart. Blood was still oozing from his other eight stab wounds that burdened his chest and stomach. I vaguely remembered Shiki's hand, blurring as it inflicted that awful pain on my love.

Then I found that I was kneeling right next to him, crying softly over his body, easing the knife from his heart. After I sat it aside, I titled his head gently. Yes, I would try.

I lowered my face to his neck and opened my mouth. This went against what I had always worked for. I did it anyway. I pierced his flesh with my fangs. Hard. I then pulled back.

There was no change. I cried out. Without warning I held him against me, my tears staining his shirt. It was the same thing he had been wearing when Kaname and I dropped him and Yuki off at the school. He was so cold! My lovely Michelangelo. I would miss him so. I would die without him.

It had been Mike that pulled me to America and then, eventually, to stay in Charlottesville. It seemed like such a small city when I thought about it. It was so dwarfed when compared to all that I had seen.

"Oh, my Michelangelo, I love you." I whispered to him. My eyes closed, I knew we were dreaming together once more.

That was when I heard it. It was like fireworks. It was like the sound of the giant Transformers from the movies. It was the most amazing sound ever made. It was Mike's heart thump loudly once from inside his wounded chest. I opened my eyes to see that his wounds were already healing. The one that was the pathway to his heart was now completely closed.

"Thank you," My sobs were now sobs of joy. Was my Michelangelo really coming back to me?

He moaned softly, tears springing into his eyes. He blinked a couple of times, and his hands went to clutch his chest. As consciousness returned to him, he became more and more aware of the pain that now engulfed him. He whimpered and moaned, clutching his chest, sucking in air. I smiled, caressing his cheek. Yes, he was coming back.

His eyes were wide now, staring up at me. He suppressed his noises, though it hurt horribly. He was quiet, watching me. "Wha . . . what happened?" he breathed, frowning.

"Shiki tried to kill you, Mike, but I bit you. Is that alright?"

"I'm turning into a vampyre?"

"Yes. Your transformation will not hurt for very long, I promise."

It was too much for him to speak at this point. He settled for taking in the people around us. He was quite awed. He laughed lightly. "It was a scene."

"Yes." I laughed, too. "I blew everyone up again."

"For me? Man, I wish I had seen it."

"You may see it, yet." I winked at him. I was just so happy he was back. "Oh, Mike!" I hugged him, closing my eyes.

He hugged me back. "Everything's fine now. There is no need to cry."

"It's not fine. You died, and . . . and I love you."

Mike laughed then. Supporting his own weight, he pushed me back a little so that he could see my face. "I was scared for the longest time I would never hear you say that, and here you have said it twice."

"Why?"

"I'm not . . . spectacular. I'm a fan, not a racer. I didn't think you would ever turn me."

"Silly, of course you are. You are incredible. And I might have turned you eventually, if you had wanted me to. I think it unfair for someone to change species without a say so."

Mike laughed. "I was so hesitant. I don't understand why. I knew all along I would follow you to the ends of the Earth, but I never knew whether I'd be the pack mule or . . . more than that. I guess I was just waiting for an answer from you."

"I was giving you a chance, providing options. I did not realize that you thought you were less than me. Mike: you are my reason for living. I am not a superhero, and though I may be the moon _you _are the sun. You are my reason for doing anything about Shiki at all. You are the reason I went to Charlottesville, and you are the reason I stayed and did not run: I wanted to have a chance to live beyond the senate. I wanted there to be more options than just what I saw in the future."

Mike was smiling, staring into my eyes. I guess we both realized that there was nothing more to say. While I was not ready for marriage in this crazy, uncertain world, Mike would always be there. All of the questions had been answered. As we stared at one another, everything began to seem . . . happy.

_Get it over with, _Kaname thought at me teasingly.

Bending one knee to get better leverage, Mike kissed me. It was not like he was conveying a message or even pouring his heart out. It was like he was telling me he would wait until I was ready, and he would be carrying me the entire way. His lips were tender and sweet and kind, with a tinge of passion.

I knew he was not under my spell then. He was completely in control of his own will. It was simply that . . . between us, there was true love. That was really all that was certain. We were there for each other.


	26. Shiki's Demise

The Truth/Control | Mariah Bryant

_Book Two, Chapter Twenty-One_

The Beginning

All men are power-hungry in some way. All purebloods (that I did not bring into being myself) are cruel and selfish. Kaname and Ichio were the loyal assistants I needed to really make a difference. Soon I was leading the senate. Before my child was born, I was the President. Everyone treated my rule like a monarchy and when it were there was no objections. Mike was more than my assistant or even my king. He was the mediator: the one that figured out the details, the one who thought things through rationally. He was the Vice President at first. Then he was the true King. Our rule was the most marvelous Ichio had ever beheld. The Kuran legacy continued on under a new name: Thomson.

With the Night Class , the loyal ties to the vampyre hunter society, and our human friends backing everything up for us, we effectively killed the political blocks between humans and vampyres. Medical issues such as giving to vampyres who did not have the stature to have a connection to them a way to get blood tablets from the Night Class's companies and also creating drugs to prolong the fall to a Level E were handled in such a way that no one was permitted to suffer. Between the Night Class, Mike, and Benjamin, the drug (based on my poison) was very successful. Vampyre killings and the killing of vampyres decreased tremendously. The vampyre world calmed down.

Jewel became a singer rival in popularity to Linkin Park, giving her the ears of all young Americans. That was only the beginning. She remade the music standards until her original sound was not considered "American" to kids in different countries but as "Jewel". It united the world. Stephen began his carrer as a military official and grew in rank until he was the President of the United States. Thus, the Night Clan had a hand on unstable American politics. Kayla of _course _became the first American mangaka to be near-worshipped in Japan. Her designs and ideas and computer smarts and overall creativity gave her the ears of young Japanese people. She as a mangaka was worthy of the title, "novel". Her stories were translated throughout the world. Small clips of her movies (spawned from her mastery over scene, technology, and awesomeness) could inspire the most extreme of emotions in humans. Many other mangakas tried to follow her lead but none compared. It became un-cool not to know what the word 'manga' meant. Every other movie was anime, and more than half were her's. "United under manga and music they all stand." Night Class students grew up, too . . . slowly. Their accomplishments were too great to be advertised to humans.

I no longer held back my power. Many more tried to bring me down, but none prevailed. No one could stop me. My job began giving me joy after everyone started to rebel less. Very few of the rebels knew of my resources. Now the entire world was under me . . . at my mercy. Little knew me. All feared and most hated me. Still, the good things I did were abundant. As John D. Rockefeller was to America, I was to the world.

The very best of my accomplishments was bringing my baby girl into the world. With demonic red eyes and white hair, the beautiful baby caused me severe pain for only six hours that night during which the moon was bulging round with its own child. She glowed brighter than Mike and me combined, and captivated everyone who saw her.

There was no fight over her. She was sent to Cross Academy, to Day Class, but lived in the Moon Dorms. She grew as fast as I had, and only started growing as slowly as a human at the age of thirteen. She was an instinctual being like me, but had a wonderful heart like her father.

Mike and I married the fall after her birth. Many, many years into the future, she would continue our work.

**~End of Book Two~**

It is obvious to me now.

I was meant to fail, but I did not.

With the help of my love, I prevailed.

A dictator, a savior – call me what you like.

I saved the world, and will continue to lead it to peace.

I am the stronger; the strongest.

I am

The chosen one; the Higher Being's favorite.

I fulfilled the prophesy.

My daughter will carry on. What I cannot, she will.

Amara's "Higher Being" was mostly her own creation. Mike was the real savior, as Amara was always relying on him. Their power – his over physical beings and hers over mental beings – was equal after Mike had begun to practice. Using a pureblood had been the Higher Being's only flaw in the plan, but then, when is anything ever perfect? The plan is not for perfection, but something deeper . . .

I am pleased to say that this is not only the last chapter of this story that gave me so much pleasure to write, but this is also the last FanFiction I will write for a while. I must now return my attention to my own creations. You who have read this FanFiction are lucky, I think! The next piece of work that goes public will be a book that you will hold in your own hands. Congratulations! You are the first to witness what happens when I get an idea. :) See you on the biography flap.

Oh, and I now have a DeviantArt account where I post some fan arts and pictures based on this very story, as well as other prospective stories and stories that might never see the light of day… You should check me out. I'm no Picasso but still… (Because of the policy of this site, I am not allowed to post links. Here instead is my user name: Mariah-Bryant.)

Sincerely,

Mariah Bryant


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